Signal processing apparatus and methods

ABSTRACT

A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g.,  77 ) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g.,  205 ), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers ( 73, 205 ), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors ( 202 ), speakers ( 263 ), printers ( 221 ), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs ( 74, 77, 97, 98 ) cause control processors ( 71 ) and computers ( 73 ) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers ( 53 ), recorder/players ( 76 ), computers ( 73 ), generators ( 82 ), strippers ( 81 ), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs ( 225, 218, 22 ) cause control processors ( 200 ) and computers ( 205 ) to automate connection and operation of converters ( 201 ), tuners ( 215 ), decryptors ( 224 ), recorder/players ( 217 ), computers ( 205 ), furnaces ( 206 ), etc. Processors ( 71, 200 ) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/113,329, filed Aug.30, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,856,650, herein incorporated by referencein its entirety, which is a continuation of application Ser. No.08/056,501, filed May 3, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,277, which was acontinuation of application Ser. No. 07/849,226, filed Mar. 10, 1992,now U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,654, which was a continuation of applicationSer. No. 07/588,126, filed Sep. 25, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,414,which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/096,096, filed Sep.11, 1987, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,825, which was a continuation-in-partof application Ser. No. 06/829,531, filed Feb. 14, 1986, now U.S. Pat.No. 4,704,725, which was a continuation of application Ser. No.06/317,510, filed Nov. 3, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,490.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

-   CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS-   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION-   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION-   BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS-   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS-   ONE COMBINED MEDIUM-   THE SIGNAL PROCESSOR-   SIGNAL DECODERS-   THE SIGNAL PROCESSOR SYSTEM-   INTRODUCTION TO THE SIGNALS OF THE INTEGRATED SYSTEM-   THE COMPOSITION OF SIGNAL INFORMATION . . . COMMANDS, INFORMATION    SEGMENTS, AND PADDING BITS-   THE ORGANIZATION OF MESSAGE STREAMS . . . MESSAGES, CADENCE    INFORMATION, AND END OF FILE SIGNALS-   DETECTING END OF FILE SIGNALS-   THE NORMAL TRANSMISSION LOCATION-   OPERATING SIGNAL PROCESSOR SYSTEMS . . . INTRODUCTION-   OPERATING SIGNAL PROCESSOR SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #1-   OPERATING S. P. SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #1 (SECOND MESSAGE)-   OPERATING S. P. SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #1 (THIRD MESSAGE)-   OPERATING S. P. SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #1 (A FOURTH MESSAGE)-   OPERATING SIGNAL PROCESSOR SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #2-   THE PREFERRED CONFIGURATION OF CONTROLLER, 39, AND SPAM-CONTROLLER,    205C.-   OPERATING S. P. SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #3-   OPERATING S. P. SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #3 (SECOND MESSAGE)-   OPERATING S. P. SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #3 (THIRD MESSAGE)-   OPERATING SIGNAL PROCESSOR SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #4-   OPERATING S. P. SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #4 (SECOND MESSAGE)-   OPERATING S. P. SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #4 (THIRD MESSAGE)-   OPERATING SIGNAL PROCESSOR SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #5-   OPERATING SIGNAL PROCESS OF SYSTEMS . . . SIGNAL RECORD TRANSFER-   REGULATING THE RECEPTION AND USE OF PROGRAMMING . . . (INCLUDING    EXAMPLE #6)-   OPERATING S. P. REGULATING SYSTEMS . . . EXAMPLE #7-   MONITORING RECEIVER STATION RECEPTION AND OPERATION-   AUTOMATING INTERMEDIATE TRANSMISSION STATIONS-   AUTOMATING INTERMEDIATE TRANSMISSION STATIONS . . . EXAMPLE #8-   AUTOMATING INTERMEDIATE STATION COMBINED MEDIUM OPERATIONS . . .    (INCLUDING EXAMPLE #9)-   NETWORK CONTROL OF INTERMEDIATE GENERATING AND EMBEDDING . . .    EXAMPLE #10-   AUTOMATING ULTIMATE RECEIVER STATIONS-   MORE REGARDING THE PREFERRED CONTROLLER OF A SPAM DECODER-   AUTOMATING U. R. STATIONS . . . REGULATING STATION ENVIRONMENT-   AUTOMATING U. R. STATIONS . . . COORDINATING A STEREO SIMULCAST-   AUTOMATING U. R. STATIONS . . . RECEIVING SELECTED PROGRAMMING-   AUTOMATING U. R. STATIONS . . . MORE ON EXAMPLE #7 . . . RECEIVING    SELECTED PROGRAMMING AND COMBINING SELECTED URS MICROCOMPUTERS, 205,    AUTOMATICALLY TO THE COMPUTER SYSTEM OF A SELECTED PROGRAMMING    TRANSMISSION-   CONTROLLING COMPUTER-BASED COMBINED MEDIA OPERATIONS-   TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING PROGRAM INSTRUCTION SETS-   AUDIO OVERLAYS AND OTHER OVERLAYS-   AUTOMATING U. R. STATIONS . . . EXAMPLES #9 AND #10 CONTINUED    COORDINATING COMPUTERS, TELEVISION, AND PRINT-   PREPROGRAMMING RECEIVER STATION OPERATING SYSTEMS-   THE PREFERRED SPAM HEADER-   A SUMMARY EXAMPLE #11 . . . AND THE GENERAL CASE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an integrated system of programmingcommunication and involves the fields of computer processing, computercommunications, television, radio, and other electronic communications;the fields of automating the handling, recording, and retransmitting oftelevision, radio, computer, and other electronically transmittedprogramming; and the fields of regulating, metering, and monitoring theavailability, use, and usage of such programming.

For years, television has been recognized as a most powerful medium forcommunicating ideas. And television is so-called “user-friendly”; thatis, despite technical complexity, television is easy for subscribers touse.

Radio and electronic print services such as stock brokers' so-called“tickers” and “broad tapes” are also powerful, user friendly mass media.(Hereinafter, the electronic print mass medium is called, “broadcastprint.”)

But television, radio, and broadcast print are only mass media. Programcontent is the same for every viewer. Occasionally one viewer may see,hear, or read information of specific relevance to him (as happens whena guest on a television talk show turns to the camera and says, “Hi,Mom”), but such electronic media have no capacity for conveying userspecific information simultaneously to each user.

For years, computers have been recognized as having unsurpassed capacityfor processing and displaying user specific information.

But computer processing is not a mass medium. Computers operate underthe control of computer programs that are inputted by specific users forspecific purposes, not programs that are broadcast to and executedsimultaneously at the stations of mass user audiences. And computerprocessing is far less user friendly than, for example, television.

Today great potential exists for combining the capacity of broadcastcommunications media to convey ideas with the capacity of computers toprocess and output user specific information. One such combination wouldprovide a new radio-based or broadcast print medium with the capacityfor conveying general information to large audiences—e.g., “Stock pricesrose today in heavy trading,”—with information of specific relevance toeach particular user in the audience—e.g., “but the value of your stockportfolio went down.” (Hereinafter, the new media that result from suchcombinations are called “combined” media.)

Unlocking this potential is desirable because these new media will addsubstantial richness and variety to the communication of ideas,information and entertainment. Understanding complex subjects and makinginformed decisions will become easier.

To unlock this potential fully requires means and methods for combiningand controlling receiver systems that are now separate—television andcomputers, radio and computers, broadcast print and computers,television and computers and broadcast print, etc.

But it requires much more.

To unlock this potential fully requires a system with efficient capacityfor satisfying the demands of subscribers who have little receiverapparatus and simple information demands as well as subscribers who haveextensive apparatus and complex demands. It requires capacity fortransmitting and organizing vastly more information and programming thanany one-channel transmission system can possibly convey at one time. Itrequires capacity for controlling intermediate transmission stationsthat receive information and programming from many sources and fororganizing the information and programming and retransmitting theinformation and programming so as to make the use of the information andprogramming at ultimate receiver stations as efficient as possible.

To unlock this potential also requires efficient capacity for providingreliable audit information to (1) advertisers and others who pay for thetransmission and performance of programming and (2) copyright holders,pay service operators, and others such as talent who demand, instead, tobe paid. This requires capacity for identifying and recording (1) whattelevision, radio, data, and other programming and what instructionsignals are transmitted at each transmission station and (2) what isreceived at each receiver station as well as (3) what receivedprogramming is combined or otherwise used at each receiver station and(4) how it is received, combined, and/or otherwise used.

Moreover, this system must have the capacity to ensure that programmingsupplied for pay or for other conditional use is used only in accordancewith those conditions. For example, subscriber station apparatus mustdisplay the commercials that are transmitted in transmissions thatadvertisers pay for. The system must have capacity for decrypting, inmany varying ways, programming and instruction signals that areencrypted and for identifying those who pirate programming andinhibiting piracy.

It is the object of this invention to unlock this great potential in thefullest measure by means of an integrated system of programmingcommunication that joins together all these capacities most efficiently.

Computer systems generate user specific information, but in any givencomputer system, any given set of program instructions that causes andcontrols the generation of user specific information is inputted to onlyone computer at a time.

Computer communications systems do transmit data point-to-multipoint.The Dataspeed Corporation division of Lotus Development Corporation ofCambridge, Mass. transmits real-time financial data over radiofrequencies to microcomputers equipped with devices called “modios” thatcombine the features of radio receivers, modems, and decryptors. TheEquatorial Communications Company of Mountain View, Calif. transmits tosimilarly equipped receiver systems by satellite. At each receiverstation, apparatus receive the particular transmission and convert itsdata content into unencrypted digital signals that computers canprocess. Each subscriber programs his subscriber station apparatus toselect particular data of interest.

This prior art is limited. It only transmits data; it does not controldata processing. No system is preprogrammed, to simultaneously control aplurality of central processor units, operating systems, and pluralitiesof computer peripheral units. None has capacity to cause simultaneousgeneration of user specific information at a plurality of receiverstations. None has any capacity to cause subscriber station computers toprocess received data, let alone in ways that are not inputted by thesubscribers. None has any capacity to explain automatically why anygiven information might be of particular interest to any subscriber orwhy any subscriber might wish to select information that is not selectedor how any subscriber might wish to change the way selected informationis processed.

As regards broadcast media, systems in the prior art have capacity forreceiving and displaying multiple images on television receiverssimultaneously. One such system for superimposing printed characterstransmitted incrementally during the vertical blanking interval of thetelevision scanning format is described in U.S. patent to Kimura U.S.Pat. No. 3,891,792. U.S. patent to Baer U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,854describes a second system for continuously displaying readablealphanumeric captions that are transmitted as digital data superimposedon a normal FM sound signal and that relate in program content to theconventional television information upon which they are displayed. Thesesystems permit a viewer to view a primary program and a secondaryprogram.

This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity to overlay anyinformation other than information transmitted to all receiver stationssimultaneously. It has no capacity to overlay any such informationexcept in the order in which it is received. It has no capacity to causereceiver station computers to generate any information whatsoever, letalone user specific information. It has no capacity to cause overlays tocommence or cease appearing at receiver stations, let alone commence andcease appearing periodically.

As regards the automation of intermediate transmission stations, variousso-called “cueing” systems in the prior art operate in conjunction withnetwork broadcast transmissions to automate the so-called “cut-in” atlocal television and radio stations of locally originated programmingsuch as so-called “local spot” advertisements.

Also in the prior art, U.S. patent to Lambert U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,522describes a cable television system controlled by a minicomputer thatresponds to signals transmitted from viewers by telephone. In responseto viewers' input preferences, the computer generates a schedule whichdetermines what prerecorded, so-called local origination programs willbe transmitted, when, and over what channels. The computer generates avideo image of this schedule which it transmits over one cable channelto viewers which permits them to see when they can view the programsthey request and over what channels. Then, in accordance with theschedule, it actuates preloaded video tape, disc or film players andtransmits the programming transmissions from these players to thedesignated cable channels by means of a controlled video switch.

This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity to scheduleautomatically or transmit any programming other than that loadedimmediately at the play heads of the controlled video players. It has nocapacity to load the video players or identify what programming isloaded on the players or verify that scheduled programs are playedcorrectly. It has no capacity to cause the video players to recordprogramming from any source. It has no capacity to receive programmingtransmissions or process received transmissions in any way. It has nocapacity to operate under the control of instructions transmitted bybroadcasters. It has no capacity to insert signals that conveyinformation to or control, in any way, the automatic operation ofultimate receiver station apparatus other than television receivers.

As regards the automation of ultimate receiver stations, in the priorart, U.S. patent to Bourassin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,480 describes adynamic interconnection system for connecting at least one televisionreceiver to a plurality of television peripheral units. By means of asingle remote keyboard, a viewer can automatically connect anddisconnect any of the peripheral units without the need manually toswitch systems or fasten and unfasten cabling each time. In addition,using a so-called “image-within-image” capacity, the viewer cansuperimpose a secondary image from a second peripheral unit upon theprimary image on the television display. In this fashion, two peripheralunits can be viewed simultaneously on one television receiver. U.S.patent to Freeman et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,925 describes amulti-channel programming transmission system wherein subscribers mayselect manually among related programming alternatives transmittedsimultaneously on separate channels.

This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for interconnectingor operating a system at any time other than the time when the order todo so is entered manually at the system or remote keyboard. It has nocapacity for acting on instructions transmitted by broadcasters tointerconnect, actuate or tune systems peripheral to a televisionreceiver or to actuate a television receiver or automatically changechannels received by a receiver. It has no capacity for coordinating theprogramming content transmitted by any given peripheral system with anyother programming transmitted to a television receiver. It has nocapacity for controlling two separate systems such as, for example, anautomatic radio and television stereo simulcast. It has no capacity forselectively connecting radio receivers to radio peripherals such ascomputers or printers or speakers or for connecting computers tocomputer peripherals (except perhaps a television set). It has nocapacity for controlling the operation of decryptors or selectivelyinputting transmissions to decryptors or outputting transmissions fromdecryptors to other apparatus. It has no capacity for monitoring andmaintaining records regarding what programming is selected or played onany apparatus or what apparatus is connected or how connected apparatusoperate.

The prior art includes a variety of system's for monitoring programmingand generating so-called “ratings.” One system that monitors by means ofembedded digital signals is described in U.S. patent to Haselwood, etal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,851. Another that monitors by means of audiocodes that are only “substantially inaudible” is described in U.S.patent to Crosby U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,391. A third that automaticallymonitors a plurality of channels by switching sequentially among themand that includes capacity to monitor audio and visual quality isdescribed in U.S. patent to Greenberg U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,804.

This prior art, too, is limited. It has capacity to monitor only singlebroadcast stations, channels or units and lacks capacity to monitor morethan one channel at a time or to monitor the combining of media. At anygiven monitor station, it has had capacity to monitor either what istransmitted over one or more channels or what is received on one or morereceivers but not both. It has assumed monitored signals of particularformat in particular transmission locations and has lacked capacity tovary formats or locations or to distinguish and act on the absence ofsignals or to interpret and process in any fashion signals that appearin monitored locations that are not monitored signals. It has lackedcapacity to identify encrypted signals then decrypt them. It has lackedcapacity to record and also transfer information to a remote geographiclocation simultaneously.

As regards recorder/player systems, many means and methods exist in theprior art for recording television or audio programming and/or data onmagnetic, optical or other recording media and for retransmittingprerecorded programming. Video tape recorders have capacity forautomatic delayed recording of television transmissions on the basis ofinstructions input manually by viewers. So-called “interactive video”systems have capacity for locating prerecorded television programming ona given disc and transmitting it to television receivers and locatingprerecorded digital data on the same disc and transmitting them tocomputers.

This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for automaticallyembedding signals in and/or removing embedded signals from a televisiontransmission then recording the transmission. It has no capacity forcontrolling the connection or actuation or tuning of external apparatus.It has no capacity for retransmitting prerecorded programming andcontrolling the decryption of said programming, let alone doing so onthe basis of signals that are embedded in said programming that containkeys for the decryption of said programming. It has no capacity foroperating on the basis of control signals transmitted torecorder/players at a plurality of subscriber stations, let aloneoperating on the basis of such signals to record user specificinformation at each subscriber station.

As regards decoders and decryptors, many different systems exist, atpresent, that enable programming suppliers to restrict the use oftransmitted programming to only duly authorized subscribers. The priorart includes so-called “addressable” systems that have capacity forcontrolling specific individual subscriber station apparatus by means ofcontrol instructions transmitted in broadcasts. Such systems enablebroadcasters to turn off subscriber station decoder/decryptor apparatusof subscribers who do not pay their bills and turn them back on when thebills are paid.

This prior art, too, is limited. It has no capacity for decryptingcombined media programming. It has no capacity for identifying thenselectively decrypting control instructions embedded in unencryptedprogramming transmissions. It has no capacity for identifyingprogramming transmissions or control instructions selectively andtransferring them to a decryptor for decryption. It has no capacity fortransferring the output of a decryptor selectively to one of a pluralityof output apparatus. It has no capacity for automatically identifyingdecryption keys and inputting them to a decryptor to serve as the keyfor any step of decryption. It has no capacity for identifying andrecording the identity of what is input to or output from a decryptor.It has no capacity for decrypting a transmission then embedding a signalin the transmission—let alone for simultaneously embedding user specificsignals at a plurality of subscriber stations. It has no capacity fordistinguishing the absence of an expected signal or controlling anyoperation when such absence occurs.

Further significant limitations arise out of the failure to reconcileaspects of these individual areas of art—monitoring programming,automating ultimate receiver stations, decrypting programming,generating the programming itself, etc.—into an integrated system. Theselimitations are both technical and commercial.

For example, the commercial objective of the aforementioned monitoringsystems of Crosby, Haselwood et. al., and Greenberg is to provideindependent audits to advertisers and others who pay for programmingtransmissions. All require embedding signals in programming that areused only to identify programming. Greenberg, for example, requires thata digital signal be transmitted at a particular place on a select lineof each frame of a television program. But television has only so muchcapacity for transmitting signals outside the visible image; it isinefficient for such signals to serve only one function; andbroadcasters can foresee alternate potential for this capacity that maybe more profitable to them. Furthermore, advertisers recognize that ifthe systems of Crosby, Haselwood and Greenberg distinguish TVadvertisements by means of single purpose signals, television receiversand video tape recorders can include capacity for identifying saidsignals and suppressing the associated advertisements. Accordingly, noindependent automatic comprehensive so-called “proof-of-performance”audit service has yet proven commercially viable.

As a second example, because of the lack of a viable independent auditsystem, each service that broadcasts encrypted programming controls andservices at each subscriber station one or more receiver/decryptorsdedicated to its service alone. Lacking a viable audit system, servicesdo not transmit to shared, common receiver/decryptors.

These are just two examples of limitations that arise in the absence ofan integrated system of programming communication.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these and otherlimitations of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention consists of an integrated system of methods andapparatus for communicating programming. The term “programming” refersto everything that is transmitted electronically to entertain, instructor inform, including television, radio, broadcast print, and computerprogramming was well as combined medium programming. The system includescapacity for automatically organizing multi-channel communications. Liketelevision, radio, broadcast print, and other electronic media, thepresent invention has capacity for transmitting to standardizedprogramming that is very simple for subscribers to play and understand.Like computer systems, the present invention has capacity fortransmitting data and control instructions in the same informationstream to many different apparatus at a given subscriber station, forcausing computers to generate and transmit programming, and for causingreceiver apparatus to operate on the basis of programming andinformation received at widely separated times.

It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methodswhereby a simplex point-to-multipoint transmission (such as a televisionor radio broadcast) can cause simultaneous generation of user specificinformation at a plurality of subscriber stations. One advantage of thepresent invention is great ease of use. For example, as will be seen, asubscriber can cause his own information to be processed in highlycomplex ways by merely turning his television receiver on and tuning toa particular channel. Another advantage of the present invention is itsso-called “transparency”-subscribers see none of the complex processingtaking place. Another advantage is privacy. No private information isrequired at transmitting stations, and no subscriber's information isavailable at any other subscriber's station.

It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methodswhereby a simplex broadcast transmission can cause periodic combining ofrelevant user specific information and conventional broadcastprogramming simultaneously at a plurality of subscriber stations,thereby integrating the broadcast information with each user's owninformation. One advantage of the present invention is its use ofpowerful communication media such as television to reveal the meaning ofthe results of complex processing in ways that appear clear and simple.Another advantage is that receiver stations that lack said capacity forcombining user specific information into television or radio programmingcan continue, without modification, to receive and display theconventional television or radio and without the appearance of anysignals or change in the conventional programming.

It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methodsfor the automation of intermediate transmission stations that receiveand retransmit programming. The programming may be delivered by anymeans including over-the-air, hard-wire, and manual means. The stationsmay transmit programming over-the-air (hereinafter, “broadcast”) or overhard-wire (hereinafter, “cablecast”). They may transmit single channelsor multiple channels. The present invention includes capacity forautomatically constructing records for each transmitted channel thatduplicate the logs that the Federal Communications Commission requiresbroadcast station operators to maintain.

It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methodsfor the automation of ultimate receiver stations, especially theautomation of combined medium and multi-channel presentations. Suchultimate receiver stations may be private homes or offices or commercialestablishments such as theaters, hotels, or brokerage offices.

It is the further purpose of this invention to provide means and methodsfor identifying and recording what television, radio, data, and otherprogramming is transmitted at each transmission station, whatprogramming is received at each receiver station, and how programming isused. In the present invention, certain monitored signals may beencrypted, and certain data collected from such monitoring may beautomatically transferred from subscriber stations to one or more remotegeographic stations.

It is a further purpose of this invention to provide means and methodsfor recording combined media and/or multi-channel programming and forplaying back prerecorded programming of such types.

It is a further purpose of this invention to provide a variety of meansand methods for restricting the use of transmitted communications toonly duly authorized subscribers. Such means and methods includetechniques for encrypting programming and/or instructions and decryptingthem at subscriber stations. They also include techniques whereby thepattern of the composition, timing, and location of embedded signals mayvary in such fashions that only receiving apparatus that are preinformedregarding the patterns that obtain at any given time will be able toprocess the signals correctly.

The present invention employs signals embedded in programming. Embeddedsignals provide several advantages. They cannot become separatedinadvertently from the programming and, thereby, inhibit automaticprocessing. They occur at precise times in programming and cansynchronize the operation of receiver station apparatus to the timing ofprogramming transmissions. They can be conveniently monitored.

In the present invention, the embedded signals contain digitalinformation that may include addresses of specific receiver apparatuscontrolled by the signals and instructions that identify particularfunctions the signals cause addressed apparatus to perform.

In programming transmissions, given signals may run and repeat, forperiods of time, continuously or at regular intervals. Or they may runonly occasionally or only once. They may appear in various and varyinglocations. In television they may appear on one line in the videoportion of the transmission such as line 20 of the vertical interval, oron a portion of one line, or on more than one line, and they willprobably lie outside the range of the television picture displayed on anormally tuned television set. In television and radio they may appearin a portion of the audio range that is not normally rendered in a formaudible to the human ear. In television audio, they are likely to liebetween eight and fifteen kilohertz. In broadcast print and datacommunications transmissions, the signals may accompany conventionalprint or data programming in the conventional transmission stream butwill include instructions that receiver station apparatus arepreprogrammed to process that instruct receiver apparatus to separatethe signals from the conventional programming and process themdifferently. In all cases, signals may convey information in discretewords, transmitted at separate times or in separate locations, thatreceiver apparatus must assemble in order to receive one completeinstruction.

(The term “signal unit” hereinafter means one complete signalinstruction or information message unit. Examples of signal units are aunique code identifying a programming unit, or a unique purchase ordernumber identifying the proper use of a programming unit, or a generalinstruction identifying whether a programming unit is to beretransmitted immediately or recorded for delayed transmission. The term“signal word” hereinafter means one full discrete appearance of a signalas embedded at one time in one location on a transmission. Examples ofsignal words are a string of one or more digital data bits encodedtogether on a single line of video or sequentially in audio. Suchstrings may or may not have predetermined data bits to identify thebeginnings and ends of words. Signal words may contain parts of signalunits, whole signal units, or groups of partial or whole signal units orcombinations.)

In the present invention, particular signal processing apparatus(hereinafter called the “signal processor”) detect signals and, inaccordance with instructions in the signals and preprogramming in thesignal processor, decrypt and/or record and/or control station apparatusby means of the signals and/or discard the signals. The apparatusinclude one or more devices that can selectively scan transmissionfrequencies as directed and, separately, capacity to receive signalsfrom one or more devices that continuously monitor selected frequencies.The frequencies may convey television, radio, or other programmingtransmissions. The input transmissions may be received by means ofantennas or from hard-wire connections. The scanners/switches, workingin parallel or series or combinations, transfer the transmissions toreceiver/decoder/detectors that identify signals encoded in programmingtransmissions and convert the encoded signals to digital information;decryptors that may convert the received information, in part or inwhole, to other digital information according to preset methods orpatterns; and one or more processor/monitors and/or buffer/comparatorsthat organize and transfer the information stream. The processors andbuffers can have inputs from each of the receiver/detector lines andevaluate information continuously. From the processors and buffers, thesignals may be transferred to external equipment such as computers,videotape recorders and players, etc. And/or they may be transferred toone or more internal digital recorders that receive and store in memorythe recorded information and have connections to one or more remotesites for further transmission of the recorded information. Theapparatus has means for external communication and an automatic dialerand can contact remote sites and transfer stored information as requiredin a predetermined fashion or fashions. The apparatus has a clock fordetermining and recording time as required. It has a read only memoryfor recording permanent operating instructions and other information anda programmable random access memory controller (“PRAM controller”) thatpermits revision of operating patterns and instructions. The PRAMcontroller may be connected to all internal operating units for fullflexibility of operations.

Signal processing apparatus that are employed in specific situationsthat require fewer functions than those provided by the signal processordescribed above may omit one or more of the specific operating elementsdescribed above.

A central objective of the present invention is to provide flexibilityin regard to installed station apparatus. At any given time, the systemmust have capacity for wide variation in individual station apparatus inorder to provide individual subscribers the widest range of informationoptions at the least cost in terms of installed equipment. Flexibilitymust exist for expanding the capacity of installed systems by means oftransmitted software and for altering installed systems in a modularfashion by adding or removing components. Flexibility must exist forvarying techniques that restrict programming to duly authorizedsubscribers in order to identify and deter pirates of programming.

Other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will appear inthe following descriptions and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a video/computer combined medium receiverstation.

FIG. 1A shows a representative example of a computer generated, userspecific graphic as it would appear by itself on the face of a displaytube.

FIG. 1B shows a representative example of a studio generated graphicdisplayed on the face of a display tube.

FIG. 1C shows a representative example, on the face of a display tube,of a studio graphic combined with a user specific graphic.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a signal processor.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram of a TV signal decoder apparatus.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram of a radio signal decoder apparatus.

FIG. 2C is a block diagram of an other signal decoder apparatus.

FIG. 2D is a block diagram of one embodiment of a receiver stationsignal processing system.

FIG. 2E illustrates one example of the composition of signal informationand shows the initial binary information of a message that containsexecution, meter-monitor, and information segments.

FIG. 2F shows one instance of a meter-monitor segment.

FIG. 2G shows one instance of a command that fills a whole number ofbyte signal words incompletely.

FIG. 2H shows one instance of a message that contains execution andmeter-monitor segments and consists of the command of FIG. 2G with threepadding bits added at the end to complete the last byte signal word.

FIG. 2I shows one instance of a SPAM message stream.

FIG. 2J shows one instance of a message that consists of just a headerand an execution segment and fills one byte signal word completely.

FIG. 2K shows one instance of a message that contains execution andmeter-monitor segments and fills a whole number of byte signal wordscompletely but ends with one full byte signal word of padding bitsbecause the last byte signal word of command information is an EOFSword.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a video/computer combined medium receiverstation with a signal processing system.

FIG. 3A is a block diagram of the preferred embodiment the controllerapparatus of a SPAM decoder.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of one example of a signal processingprogramming reception and use regulating system.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of one example of a signal processingapparatus and methods monitoring system installed to monitor asubscriber station.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of one example of signal processing apparatusand methods at an intermediate transmission station, in this case acable system headend.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of signal processing apparatus and methods atan ultimate receiver station.

FIG. 7A is a block diagram of signal processing apparatus and methodswith external equipment regulating the environment of the local receiversite.

FIG. 7B is a block diagram of signal processing apparatus and methodsused to control a combined medium, multi-channel presentation and tomonitor such viewership.

FIG. 7C is a block diagram of signal processing apparatus and methodsselecting receivable information and programming and controllingcombined medium, multi-channel presentations.

FIG. 7D is a block diagram of a radio/computer combined medium receiverstation.

FIG. 7E is a block diagram of a television/computer combined mediumreceiver station.

FIG. 7F is a block diagram of an example of controlling television andprint combined media.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of selected apparatus of the station of FIG. 7with a station specific EPROM, 20B, installed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One Combined Medium

FIG. 1 shows a video/computer combined medium subscriber station. Viaconventional antenna, the station receives a conventional televisionbroadcast transmission at television tuner, 215. The Model CV510Electronic TV Tuner of the Zenith Radio Corporation of Chicago, Ill.,which is a component of the Zenith Video Hi-Tech Component TV system, isone such tuner. This tuner outputs conventional audio and compositevideo transmissions. The audio transmission is inputted to TV monitor,202M. The video transmission is inputted to video transmission divider,4, which is a conventional divider that splits the transmission into twopaths. One is inputted continuously to TV signal decoder, 203, and theother to microcomputer, 205. TV signal decoder, 203, which is describedmore fully below, has capacity for receiving a composite videotransmission; detecting digital information embedded therein; correctingerrors in the received information by means of forward error checkingtechniques, well known in the art; converting the received information,as may be required, by means of input protocol techniques, well known inthe art, into digital signals that microcomputer, 205, can receive andprocess and that can control the operation of microcomputer, 205; andtransferring said signals to microcomputer, 205. Microcomputer, 205, isa conventional microcomputer system with disk drives that is adapted tohave capacity for receiving signals from decoder, 203; for generatingcomputer graphic information; for receiving a composite videotransmission; for combining said graphic information onto the videoinformation of said transmission by graphic overlay techniques, wellknown in the art; and for outputting the resulting combined informationto a TV monitor, 202M, in a composite video transmission. One suchsystem is the IBM Personal Computer of International Business MachinesCorporation of Armonk, N.Y. with an IBM Asynchronous CommunicationsAdapter installed in one expansion slot and a PC-MicroKey Model 1300System with Techmar Graphics Master Card, as supplied together by VideoAssociates Labs of Austin, Tex., installed in two other slots.Microcomputer, 205, receives digital signals from decoder, 203, at itsasynchronous communications adapter and the video transmission fromdivider, 4, at its PC-MicroKey 1300 System. It outputs the compositevideo transmission at its PC-MicroKey System. Microcomputer, 205, hasall required operating system capacity—eg., the MS/DOS Version 2.0 DiskOperating System of Microsoft, Inc. of Bellvue, Wash. with installeddevice drivers. TV monitor, 202M, has capacity for receiving compositevideo and audio transmissions and for presenting a conventionaltelevision video image and audio sound. One such monitor is the ModelCV1950 Color Monitor of the Zenith Radio Corporation.

In the example, the subscriber station of FIG. 1 is in New York City andis tuned to the conventional broadcast television transmission frequencyof channel 13 at 8:30 PM on a Friday evening when the broadcast stationof said frequency, WNET, commences transmitting a television programabout stock market investing, “Wall Street Week.” Said WNET station isan intermediate transmission station for said program which actuallyoriginates at a remote television studio in Owings Mills, Md.(Hereinafter, a studio or station that originates the broadcasttransmission of programming is called the “program originating studio.”)From said program originating studio said program is transmitted byconventional television network feed transmission means, well known inthe art, to a large number of geographically dispersed intermediatetransmission stations that retransmit said program to millions ofsubscriber stations where subscribers view said program. Said networktransmission means may include so-called landlines, microwavetransmissions, a satellite transponder, or other means.

At said subscriber station, microprocessor, 205, contains a conventional5¼″ floppy disk at a designated one of its disk drives that holds a datafile recorded in a fashion well known in the art. Said file containsinformation on the portfolio of financial instruments owned by thesubscriber that identifies the particular stocks in the portfolio, thenumber of shares of each stock owned at the close of business of eachbusiness day from the end of the previous week, and the closing shareprices applicable each day. Decoder, 203, is preprogrammed to detectdigital information on a particular line or lines (such as line 20) ofthe vertical interval of its video transmission input; to correct errorsin said information; to convert said corrected information into digitalsignals usable by microcomputer, 205; and to input said signals tomicrocomputer, 205, at its asynchronous communications adapter.Microcomputer, 205, is preprogrammed to receive said input of signals atits asynchronous communications adapter and to respond in apredetermined fashion to instruction signals embedded in the “WallStreet Week” programming transmission.

Other similarly configured and preprogrammed subscriber stations alsotune to the transmission of said “Wall Street Week” program by givenintermediate transmission stations. At each subscriber station, therecords in the contained financial portfolio file hold, in identicalformat, information on the particular investments of that station'ssubscriber.

At the start of the transmission of said “Wall Street Week” program, allsubscriber station apparatus is on and fully operational.

At said program originating studio, at the outset of said programtransmission, a first series of control instructions is generated,embedded sequentially on said line or lines of the vertical interval,and transmitted on the first and each successive frame of saidtelevision program transmission, signal unit by signal unit and word byword, until said series has been transmitted in full. The instructionsof said series are addressed to and control the microcomputer, 205, ofeach subscriber station.

In said series in full—and in any one or more subsequent series ofinstructions—particular instructions are separated, as may be required,by time periods when no instruction that controls the microcomputer,205, of any station is transmitted which periods allow sufficient timefor the microcomputer, 205, of each and every subscriber station tocomplete functions controlled by previously transmitted instructions andcommence waiting for a subsequent instruction, in a waiting fashion wellknown in the art, before receiving a subsequent instruction.

Tuner, 215, receives this television transmission, converts the receivedtelevision information into audio and composite video transmissions, andtransmits the audio to monitor, 202M, and the video via divider, 4, tomicrocomputer, 205, and decoder, 203. Decoder, 203, detects the embeddedinstruction information, corrects it as required, converts it intodigital signals usable by microcomputer, 205, and transmits said signalsto microcomputer, 205.

With each step occurring in a predetermined fashion or fashions, wellknown in the art, this first set of instructions commands microcomputer,205, (and all other subscriber station microcomputers simultaneously) tointerrupt the operation of its central processor unit (hereinafter,“CPU”) and any designated other processors; then to record the contentsof the registers of its CPU and any other designated processors eitherat a designated place in random access memory (hereinafter, “RAM”) or onthe contained disk; then to set its PC-MicroKey 1300 to the “GRAPHICSOFF” operating mode in which mode it transmits all received compositevideo information to monitor, 202M, without modification; then to recordall information in RAM with all register information in an appropriatelynamed file such as “INTERUPT.BAK” at a designated place on the containeddisk; then to clear all RAM (except for that portion of RAM containingthe so-called “operating system” of said microcomputer, 205) and allregisters of said CPU and any other designated processors; then to waitfor further instructions from decoder, 203.

Operating in said preprogrammed fashion under control of said first setof instructions, microcomputer, 205, reaches a stage at which thesubscriber can input information only under control of signals embeddedin the broadcast transmission and can reassume control of microcomputer,205, (so long as microcomputer, 205, remains on and continues, in apredetermined fashion, to receive said embedded transmitted signals)only by executing a system reset (or so-called “warm boot”) which on anIBM PC is accomplished by depressing simultaneously the “Ctrl”, “Alt”and “Del” keys on the console keyboard.

(Hereinafter, this first set of instructions is called the “controlinvoking instructions,” and the associated steps are called “invokingbroadcast control.”)

After completing all steps of invoking broadcast control, themicrocomputer at each subscriber station (including microcomputer, 205)is preprogrammed (1) to evaluate particular initial instructions in eachdistinct series of received input instructions to ascertain how toprocess the information of said series and (2) to operate in apredetermined fashion or fashions in response to said initialinstructions.

Subsequently, a second series of instructions is embedded andtransmitted at said program originating studio. Said second series isdetected and converted into usable digital signals by decoder, 203, andinputted to microcomputer, 205, in the same fashion as the first series.Microcomputer, 205, evaluates the initial signal word or words whichinstruct it to load at RAM (from the input buffer to which decoder, 203,inputs) and run the information of a particular set of instructions thatfollows said word or words just as the information of a file namedFILE.EXE, recorded on the contained floppy disk, would be loaded at RAM(from the input buffer to which the disk drive of said disk inputs) andrun were the command “FILE” entered from the console keyboard to thesystem level of the installed disk operating system. (Hereinafter, sucha set of instructions that is loaded and run is called a “programinstruction set.”) In a fashion well known in the art, microcomputer,205, loads the received binary information of said set at a designatedplace in RAM until, in a predetermined fashion, it detects the end ofsaid set, and it executes said set as an assembled, machine languageprogram in a fashion well known in the art.

Under control of said program instruction set and accessing thesubscriber's contained portfolio data file for information in a fashionwell known in the art, microcomputer, 205, calculates the performance ofthe subscriber's stock portfolio and constructs a graphic image of thatperformance at the installed graphics card. The instructions cause thecomputer, first, to determine the aggregate value of the portfolio ateach day's close of business by accumulating, for each day, the sum ofthe products of the number of shares of each stock held times thatstock's closing price. The instructions then cause microcomputer, 205,to calculate the percentage change in the portfolio's aggregate valuefor each business day of the week in respect to the final business dayof the prior week. Then in a fashion well known in the art, theinstructions cause microcomputer, 205, to enter digital bit informationat the video RAM of the graphics card in a particular pattern thatdepicts the said percentage change as it would be graphed on aparticular graph with a particular origin and set of scaled graph axes.Upon completion of these steps, the instructions cause microcomputer,205, to commence waiting for a subsequent instruction from decoder, 203.

If the information at video RAM at the end of these steps were to betransmitted alone to the video screen of a TV monitor, it would appearas a line of a designated color, such as red, on a background color thatis transparent when overlaid on a separate video image. Black is such abackground color, and FIG. 1A shows one such line.

As each subscriber station completes the steps of calculation andgraphic imaging performed under control of said program instruction set,information of such a line exists at video RAM at said station whichinformation reflects the specific portfolio performance of the user ofsaid station. Said information results from much computation, but themeaning of said information is hardly clear. FIG. 1A shows just a line.

While microcomputer, 205, performs these steps, TV monitor, 202M,displays the conventional television image and the sound of thetransmitted “Wall Street Week” program. During this time the program mayshow the so-called “talking head” of the host as he describes thebehavior of the stock market over the course of the week. Then the hostsays, “Now as we turn to the graphs, here is what the Dow JonesIndustrials did in the week just past,” and a studio generated graphicis transmitted. FIG. 1B shows the image of said graphic as it appears onthe video screen of TV monitor, 202M. Then the host says, “And here iswhat your portfolio did.” At this point, an instruction signal isgenerated at said program originating studio, embedded in theprogramming transmission, and transmitted. Said signal is identified bydecoder, 203; transferred to microcomputer, 205; and executed bymicrocomputer, 205, at the system level as the statement, “GRAPHICS ON”.Said signal instructs microcomputer, 205, at the PC-MicroKey 1300 tooverlay the graphic information in its graphics card onto the receivedcomposite video information and transmit the combined information to TVmonitor, 202M. TV monitor, 202M, then displays the image shown in FIG.1C which is the microcomputer generated graphic of the subscriber's ownportfolio performance overlaid on the studio generated graphic. Andmicrocomputer, 205, commences waiting for another instruction fromdecoder, 203.

By itself, the meaning of FIG. 1A is hardly clear. But when FIG. 1A iscombined and displayed at the proper time with the conventionaltelevision information, its meaning becomes readily apparent.Simultaneously, each subscriber in a large audience of subscribers seeshis own specific performance information as it relates to theperformance information of the market as a whole.

(Hereinafter, an instruction such as the above signal of “GRAPHICS ON”that causes subscriber station apparatus to execute a combiningoperation in synchronization is called a “combining synch command.” Saidinitial signal word or words that preceded the above program instructionset provide another example of a combining synch command in that saidword or words synchronized all subscriber station computers incommencing loading and running information for a particular combining.)

While the TV monitor at this particular subscriber station displays thisparticular subscriber's own overlay information, each other subscriberstation displays the specific overlay information applicable at thatstation.

As the program proceeds, in the same fashion a further instructionsignal is generated at said studio; transmitted; detected; inputted fromdecoder, 203, to microcomputer, 205; and executed as “GRAPHICS OFF.”Then said studio ceases transmitting the graphic image, and transmitsanother image such as the host's talking head. Simultaneously, theGRAPHICS OFF command causes microcomputer, 205, to cease overlaying thegraphic information onto the received composite video and to commencetransmitting the received composite video transmission unmodified.Thereafter the “Wall Street Week” program proceeds, and microcomputer,205, continues to operate under control of received instructions.

This combined medium example is of a television based medium. Likeconventional television, said combined medium transmits the same signalsto all subscriber stations. But unlike conventional television whereeach subscriber views only programming viewed by every other subscriberand where said programming is known to and available at the programoriginating studio, each subscriber of said combined medium viewsprogramming that is personalized and private. The programming he viewsis his own—in the example, his own portfolio performance—and hisprogramming is not-viewed by any other subscriber nor is it available atthe program originating studio. In addition, personalized programming isdisplayed only when it is of specific relevance to the conventionaltelevision programming of said combined medium. In the example, eachsubscriber views a graphic presentation of his own portfolio performanceinformation as soon as it becomes specifically relevant to graphicinformation of the performance of the market as a whole. Prior to itstime of specific relevance, no personalized information is displayed(despite the fact that said graphic information of the performance ofthe market as a whole is displayed). And said personalized informationis displayed only for so long as it remains specifically relevant. Assoon as its specific relevance terminates, its display terminates.

This “Wall Street Week” portfolio performance example provides but oneof many examples of television based combined medium programming.

This television based combined medium is but one example of manycombined media.

The Signal Processor

In the present invention, the signal processor—26 in FIG. 2; 26 in thesignal processor system of FIG. 2D; in the signal processor system, 71,of FIG. 6; 200 in FIG. 7; and elsewhere—is focal means for thecontrolling and monitoring subscriber station operations. It meterscommunications and enables owners of information to offer theirinformation to subscribers in many fashions on condition of payment. Ithas capacity for regulating communications consumption by selectivelydecrypting or not decrypting encrypted programming and/or controlsignals and capacity for assembling and retaining meter records at eachsubscriber station that document the consumption of specific programmingand information at said station. It has capacity for identifying thesubject matter of each specific unit of programming available on each ofmany transmission channels at each subscriber station as said unitbecomes available for use and/or viewing which enables subscriberstation apparatus to determine automatically whether the subject matterof said unit is of interest and, if so, to tune automatically to saidprogramming. It has capacity, at each station, for receiving monitorinformation that identifies what programming is available, whatprogramming is used, and how said programming is used and capacity forassembling and retaining monitor records that document said availabilityand usage. It has capacity for transferring said meter recordsautomatically to one or more remote automated billing stations thataccount for programming and information consumption and bill subscribersand said monitor records automatically to one or more remote so-called“ratings” stations that collect statistical data on programmingavailability and usage. It has capacities for processing information inmany other fashions that will become apparent in this fullspecification.

FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a signal processor. Said processor, 26,is configured for simultaneous use with a cablecast input that conveysboth television and radio programming and a broadcast television input.

At switch, 1, and mixers, 2 and 3, signal processor, 26, monitors allfrequencies or channels available for reception at the subscriberstation of FIG. 2 to identify available programming. The inputtedinformation is the entire range of frequencies or channels transmittedon the cable and the entire range of broadcast television transmissionsavailable to a local television antenna of conventional design. Thecable transmission is inputted simultaneously to switch, 1, and mixer,2. The broadcast transmission is inputted to switch, 1. Switch, 1, andmixers, 2 and 3, are all controlled by local oscillator and switchcontrol, 6. The oscillator, 6, is controlled to provide a number ofdiscrete specified frequencies for the particular radio and televisionchannels required. The switch, 1, acts to select the broadcast input orthe cablecast input and passes transmissions to mixer, 3, which, withthe controlled oscillator, 6, acts to select a television frequency ofinterest that is passed at a fixed frequency to a TV signal decoder, 30.Simultaneously, mixer, 2, and the controlled oscillator, 6, act toselect a radio frequency of interest which is inputted to a radio signaldecoder, 40.

At decoders, 30 and 40, signal processor, 26, identifies specificprogramming and its subject matter as said programming becomes availablefor use and/or viewing. Decoder, 30, which is shown in detail in FIG.2A, and decoder, 40, which is shown in FIG. 2B, detect signalinformation embedded in the respective inputted television and radiofrequencies, render said information into digital signals thatsubscriber station apparatus can process, modify particular ones of saidsignals through the addition and/or deletion of particular information,and output said signals and said modified signals to buffer/comparator,8. Said decoders are considered more fully below.

Buffer/comparator, 8, receives said signals from said decoders and othersignals from other inputs and organizes the received information in apredetermined fashion. Buffer/comparator, 8, has capacity for comparinga particular portions or portions of inputted information to particularpreprogrammed information and for operating in preprogrammed fashions onthe basis of the results of said comparing. It has capacity fordetecting particular end of file signals in inputted information and foroperating in preprogrammed fashions whenever said information isdetected.

The process of communication metering commences at buffer/comparator, 8.In a predetermined fashion, buffer/comparator, 8, determines whether agiven instance of received signal information requires decryption,either in whole or in part. In a fashion described more fully below,buffer/comparator, 8, and a controller, 20, which, too, is describedmore fully below, determine whether signal processor, 26, is enabled todecrypt said information. If signal processor, 26, is so enabled,buffer/comparator, 8, transfers said information to decryptor, 10. Ifsignal processor, 26, is not so enabled, buffer/comparator, 8, discardssaid information in a predetermined fashion. Buffer/comparator, 8,transfers signals that do not require decryption directly to processoror controller, 12.

Decryptor, 10, is a standard digital information decryptor, well knownin the art, that receives signals from buffer/comparator, 8, and undercontrol of said controller, 20, uses conventional decryptor techniques,well known in the art, to decrypt said signals as required. Decryptor,10, transfers decrypted signals to controller, 12.

Controller, 12, is a standard controller, well known in the art, thathas microprocessor and RAM capacities and one or more ports fortransmitting information to external apparatus. Said microprocessorcapacity of controller, 12, is of a conventional type, well known in theart, but is specifically designed to have particular register memories,discussed more fully below. Controller, 12, may contain read only memory(hereinafter, “ROM”).

Controller, 12, receives the signals inputted from buffer/comparator, 8,and decryptor, 10; analyzes said signals in a predetermined fashion; anddetermines whether they are to be transferred to external equipment orto buffer/comparator, 14, or both. If a signal or signals are to betransferred externally, in a predetermined fashion controller, 12,identifies the external apparatus to which the signal or signals areaddressed and transfers them to the appropriate port or ports forexternal transmission. If they contain meter and/or monitor informationand are to be processed further, controller, 12, selects, assembles, andtransfers the appropriate information to buffer/comparator, 14.Controller, 12, has capacity to modify received signals by adding and/ordeleting information and can transfer a given signal to one apparatuswith one modification and to another apparatus with another modification(or with no modification). Controller, 12, receives time informationfrom clock, 18, and has means to delay in a predetermined fashion thetransfer of signals when, in a predetermined fashion, delayed transferis determined to be required.

Buffer/comparator, 14, receives signal information that is meterinformation and/or monitor information from controller, 12, and fromother inputs; organizes said received information into meter recordsand/or monitor records (called, in aggregate, hereinafter, “signalrecords”) in a predetermined fashion or fashions; and transmits saidsignal records to a digital recorder, 16, and/or to one or more remotesites. With respect to particular simple or frequently repeatedinstances of signal information, buffer/comparator, 8, has capacity todetermine, in a predetermined fashion or fashions, what receivedinformation should be recorded, how it should be recorded, and when itshould be transmitted to recorder, 16, and/or to said remote sites andto initiate or modify signal records and to discard unnecessaryinformation accordingly. To avoid overloading digital recorder, 16, withduplicate data, buffer/comparator, 14, has means for counting and/ordiscarding duplicate instances of particular signal information and forincorporating count information into signal records. Buffer/comparator,14, receives time information from clock, 18, and has means forincorporating time information into signal records. Buffer/comparator,14, also has means for transferring received information immediately toa remote site or sites via telephone connection, 22, and forcommunicating a requirement for such transfer to controller, 20, whichcauses such transfer. Buffer/comparator, 14, operates under control ofcontroller, 20, and has capacity whereby controller, 20, can causemodification of the formats of and information in signal records atbuffer/comparator, 14. (In circumstances where information collectingand processing functions are extensive—for example, when a givenbuffer/comparator, 14, must collect monitor information at a subscriberstation with apparatus and/or communications flows that are extensiveand complex—buffer/comparator, 14, may operate under control of adedicated, so-called “on-board” controller, 14A, at buffer/comparator,14, which is preprogrammed with appropriate control instructions and iscontrolled by controller, 20, similarly to the fashion in whichcontroller, 12 is controlled by controller, 20.)

Digital recorder, 16, is a memory storage element of standard designthat receives information from buffer/comparator, 14, and records saidinformation in a predetermined fashion. In a predetermined fashion,recorder, 16, can determine how full it is and transmit this informationto controller, 20. Recorder, 16, may inform controller, 20,automatically when it reaches a certain level of fullness.

Signal processor, 26, has a controller device which includesprogrammable RAM controller, 20; ROM, 21, that may contain uniquedigital code information capable of identifying signal processor, 26,and the subscriber station of said processor, 26, uniquely; an automaticdialing device 24; and a telephone unit, 22. A particular portion ofROM, 21, is erasable programmable ROM (hereinafter, “EPROM”) or otherforms of programmable nonvolatile memory. Under control particularpreprogrammed instructions at that portion of ROM, 21, that is noterasable, signal processor, 26, has capacity to erase and reprogram saidEPROM in a fashion that is described more fully below. Controller, 20,has capacity for controlling the operation of all elements of the signalprocessor and can receive operating information from said elements.Controller, 20, has capacity to turn off any element or elements ofcontrolled subscriber station apparatus, in whole or in part, and eraseany or all parts of erasable memory of said controlled apparatus.

As an apparatus in the unified system of programming communication ofthe present invention, a signal processor can monitor any combination ofinputs and transmission frequencies, and the signal processor of FIG. 2is but one embodiment of a signal processor. Other embodiments canreceive and monitor available programming in transmission frequenciesother than radio and television frequencies through the addition of oneor more other signal decoders such as that of FIG. 2C described below.Embodiments can receive one or more fixed frequencies continuously atone or more decoders that monitor for available programming. For certainapplications, one particular embodiment (hereinafter, “signal processoralternative #1”) can be configured to receive only other inputs atbuffer/comparator, 8, in which case said embodiment has no oscillator,6; switch, 1; mixers, 2 and 3; or decoders, 3.0 or 40. For otherparticular applications, another particular embodiment (hereinafter,“signal processor alternative #2”) can be configured to receive onlyinputs at buffer/comparator, 14, in which case said embodiment has onlybuffer/comparator, 14; recorder, 16; clock, 18; and the control deviceapparatus associated with controller, 20. Other signal processorembodiments will become apparent in this full specification. Whichparticular embodiment of signal processor is preferred at any givensubscriber station depends on the particular communications requirementsof said station.

Signal Decoders

Signal decoder apparatus such as decoder, 203, in FIG. 1 and decoders,30 and 40, in FIG. 2 are basic in the unified system of this invention.

FIG. 2A shows a TV signal decoder that detects signal informationembedded in an inputted television frequency, renders said informationinto digital signals that subscriber station apparatus can process,identifies the particular apparatus to which said signals are addressed,and outputs said signals to said apparatus. Decoder, 203, in FIG. 1 isone such TV signal decoder; decoder, 30, in FIG. 2 is another.

In FIG. 2A, a selected frequency is inputted at a fixed frequency tosaid decoder at filter, 31, which defines the particular channel ofinterest to be analyzed. The television channel signal then passes to astandard amplitude demodulator, 32, which uses standard demodulatortechniques, well known in the art, to define the television base bandsignal. This base band signal is then transferred through separate pathsto three separate detector devices. The apparatus of these separatepaths are designed to act on the particular frequency ranges in whichembedded signal information may be found. The first path, designated A,detects signal information embedded in the video information portion ofsaid television channel signal. Path A inputs to a standard linereceiver, 33, well known in the art. Said line receiver, 33, receivesthe information of one or more of the lines normally used to define atelevision picture. It receives the information only of that portion orportions of the overall video transmission and passes said informationto a digital detector, 34, which acts to detect the digital signalinformation embedded in said information, using standard detectiontechniques well known in the art, and inputs detected signal informationto controller, 39, which is considered in greater detail below. Thesecond path, designated B, detects signal information embedded in theaudio information portion of said television channel signal. Path Binputs to a standard audio demodulator, 35, which uses demodulatortechniques, well known in the art, to define the television audiotransmission and transfers said audio information to high pass filter,36. Said filter, 36, defines and transfers to digital detector, 37, theportion of said audio information that is of interest. The digitaldetector, 37, detects signal information embedded in said audioinformation and inputs detected signal information to controller, 39.The third path, designated C, inputs the separately defined transmissionto a digital detector, 38, which detects signal information embedded inany other information portion of said television channel signal andinputs detected signal information to controller, 39. Line receiver, 33;high pass filter, 36; detectors, 34, 37, and 38; and controller, 39, alloperate under control of controller, 39, and in preprogrammed fashionsthat may be changed by controller, 39.

FIG. 2B shows a radio signal decoder that detects and processes signalinformation embedded in an inputted radio frequency. Decoder, 40, inFIG. 2 is one such radio signal decoder. A selected frequency ofinterest is inputted at a fixed frequency to standard radio receivercircuitry, 41, which receives the radio information of said frequencyusing standard radio receiver techniques, well known in the art, andtransfers said radio information to radio decoder, 42. Radio decoder,42, decoders the signal information embedded in said radio informationand transfers said decoded information to a standard digital detector,43. Said detector, 43, detects the binary signal information in saiddecoded information and inputs said signal information to controller,44, discussed more fully below. Circuitry, 41; decoder, 42; anddetector, 43, all operate under control of controller, 44, and inpredetermined fashions that may be changed by controller, 44.

FIG. 2C shows a signal decoder that detects and processes signalinformation embedded in a frequency other than a television or radiofrequency. A selected other frequency (such as a microwave frequency) isinputted to appropriate other receiver circuitry, 45, well known in theart. Said receiver circuitry, 45, receives the information of saidfrequency using standard receiver techniques, well known in the art, andtransfers said information to an appropriate digital detector, 46. Saiddetector, 46, detects the binary signal information in said informationand inputs said signal information to controller, 47, considered morefully below. Circuitry, 45, and detector, 46, operate under control ofcontroller, 47, and in predetermined fashions that may be changed bycontroller, 47.

Each decoder is controlled by a controller, 39, 44, or 47, that hasbuffer, microprocessor, ROM, and RAM capacities. Said buffer capacity ofcontroller, 39, 44, or 47, includes capacity for receiving, organizing,and storing simultaneous inputs from multiple sources while inputtinginformation, received and stored earlier, to said microprocessorcapacity of controller, 39, 44, or 47. Said microprocessor capacity ofcontroller, 39, 44, or 47, is of a conventional type, well known in theart, and is specifically designed to have particular register memories,discussed more fully below, including register capacity for detectingparticular end of file signals in inputted information. The ROM capacityof controller, 39, 44, or 47, contains microprocessor controlinstructions of a type well known in the art and includes EPROMcapacity. Said ROM and/or said EPROM may also contain one or moredigital codes capable of identifying its controller, 39, 44, or 47,uniquely and/or identifying particular subscriber station functions ofsaid controller, 39, 44, or 47. The RAM capacity of controller, 39, 44,or 47, constitutes workspace that the microprocessor of said controller,39, 44, or 47, can use for intermediate stages of information processingand may also contain microprocessor control instructions. Capacityexists at said controller, 39, 44, or 47, for erasing said EPROM, andsaid RAM and said EPROM are reprogrammable.

Controller, 39, 44, or 47, is preprogrammed to receive units of signalinformation, to assemble said units into signal words that subscriberstation apparatus can receive and process, and to transfer said words tosaid apparatus. In each decoder, the controller, 39, 44, or 47, receivesdetected digital information from the relevant detector or detectors,34, 37, 38, 43, and 46. Upon receiving any given instance of signalinformation, controller, 39, 44, or 47, is preprogrammed to process saidinformation automatically. Controller, 39, is preprogrammed to discardreceived duplicate, incomplete, or irrelevant information; to correcterrors in retained received information by means of forward errorcorrection techniques well known in the art; to convert, as may berequired, the corrected information, by means of input protocoltechniques well known in the art, into digital information thatsubscriber station apparatus can receive and process; to modifyselectively particular corrected and converted information in apredetermined fashion or fashions; to identify in a predeterminedfashion or fashions subscriber station apparatus to which said signalinformation should be transferred; and to transfer said signals to saidapparatus. Said controller, 39, 44, or 47, has one or more output portsfor communicating signal information to said apparatus.

Controller, 39, 44, or 47, has capacity for identifying more than oneapparatus to which any given signal should be transferred and fortransferring said signal to all said apparatus. It has capacity forrecording particular signal information in particular register memoryand for transferring a given signal to one apparatus, modifying it andtransferring it to a second apparatus, and modifying it again andtransferring it to a third apparatus.

As described above, said controller, 39, 44, or 47, controls particularapparatus of its signal decoder and has means for communicating controlinformation to said apparatus. Said controller, 39, 44, or 47, also hasmeans for communicating control information with a controller, 20, of asignal processor, 26. (Said communicating means is shown clearly in FIG.2D which is discussed below.) Via said communicating means and undercontrol of instructions and signals discussed more fully below, saidcontroller, 20, has capacity to cause information at said EPROM to beerased and to reprogram said microprocessor control instructions at saidRAM and said EPROM.

The Signal Processor System

Signal processing apparatus and methods involve an extended subscriberstation system focused on the signal processor. Said system includesexternal signal decoders.

FIG. 2D shows one embodiment of a signal processing system. Said systemcontains signal processor, 26, and external decoders, 27, 28, and 29.Each said external decoder may be a TV signal decoder (FIG. 2A) or aradio signal decoder (FIG. 2B) or an other signal decoder (FIG. 2C)depending on the nature of the selected frequency inputted. As FIG. 2Dshows, each decoder, 27, 28, and 29, receives one selected frequency andhas capacity for transferring detected, corrected, converted, andpossibly modified signals to signal processor, 26, at buffer/comparator,8, and also to other station apparatus. Each decoder, 27, 28, and 29,also has capacity for transferring detected, corrected, converted, andpossibly modified monitor information to signal processor, 26, atbuffer/comparator, 14. As FIG. 2D shows, controller, 20, has capacity tocontrol all decoder apparatus, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 40. Controller, 20,has capacity to preprogram (or reprogram) all said decoder apparatus,27, 28, 29, 30, and 40, and thereby controls the fashions of detecting,correcting, converting, modifying, identifying, transferring, and otherfunctioning of said decoders.

Not every installed decoder in said signal processor system requires allthe apparatus and system capacity of FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C. For example,because a television base band signal is inputted to decoder, 203 ofFIG. 1, said decoder does not require filter, 31, and demodulator, 32,of FIG. 2A. Likewise, because decoders, 30 and 40 of FIG. 2, transfersignals only to buffer/comparator, 8, said decoders do not requirecapacity to transfer signals to any other apparatus, and controllers, 39and 44, of said decoders are preprogrammed only to identify whether ornot any given signal should be transferred to buffer/comparator, 8. Theprecise apparatus and operating fashions of any given decoder iscommensurate with the operating requirements of the installation andsubscriber station of said decoder.

FIG. 2D shows decoders, 27, 28, and 29, communicating monitorinformation to buffer/comparator, 14, of signal processor, 26, by meansof bus, 13. Said bus, 13, communicates information in a fashion wellknown in the art, and said decoders, 27, 28, and 29, gain access to theshared transmission facility of said bus, 13, using access methods, suchas contention, that are well known in the art. Controllers, 12 and 20 ofFIG. 2, 39 of FIG. 2A, 44 of FIG. 2B, and 47 of FIG. 2C, all havecapacity to transfer signal information by bus means. Buffer/comparator,8 and 14, and controller, 12, of FIG. 2 all have capacity to receiveother input information from bus means. Furthermore, all apparatus ofFIG. 2 and of FIG. 2D can have capacity to communicate controlinformation by one or more bus means.

Introduction to the Signals of the Integrated System

The signals of the present invention are the modalities whereby stationsthat originate programming transmissions control the handling,generating, and displaying of programming at subscriber stations.

(The term, “SPAM,” is used, hereinafter, to refer to signal processingapparatus and methods of the present invention.)

SPAM signals control and coordinate a wide variety of subscriberstations. Said stations include so-called “local affiliate” broadcaststations that receive and retransmit single network transmissions;so-called “cable system headends” that receive and retransmit multiplenetwork and local broadcast station transmissions; and so-called “mediacenters” in homes, offices, theaters, etc. where subscribers viewprogramming. (Hereinafter, stations that originate broadcasttransmissions are called “original transmission stations,” stations thatreceive and retransmit broadcast transmissions are called “intermediatetransmission stations”, and stations where subscribers view programmingare called “ultimate receiver stations.”)

At said stations, SPAM signals address, control, and coordinate diverseapparatus, and the nature and extent of the apparatus installed at anygiven station can vary greatly. SPAM signals control not only variouskinds of receivers and tuners; transmission switches and channelselectors; computers; printers and video and audio display apparatus;and video, audio, and digital communications transmission recorders butalso signal processor system apparatus including decoders; decryptors;control signal switching apparatus; and the communications meters,called signal processors, of the present invention. Besides apparatusfor communicating programming to viewers, SPAM signals also address andcontrol subscriber station control apparatus such as, for example,furnace control units whose operations are automatic and are improvedwith improved information and subscriber station meter apparatus suchas, for example, utilities meters that collect and transmit meterinformation to remote metering stations.

The information of SPAM signals includes data, computer programinstructions, and commands. Data and program instructions are oftenrecorded in computer memories at subscriber stations for deferredexecution. Commands are generally for immediate execution and oftenexecute computer programs or control steps in programs already inprocess. Often said data, programs, and commands control subscriberstation apparatus that automatically handle, decrypt, transmit, and/orpresent program units of conventional television, radio, and othermedia.

In combined medium communications, SPAM signals also control subscriberstation apparatus in the generating and combining of combined mediumprogramming. At ultimate receiver stations, particular combined mediumcommands and computer programs cause computers to generate user specificprogramming and display said programming at television sets, speakersystems, printers, and other apparatus. (Hereinafter, instances ofcomputer program information that cause ultimate receiver stationapparatus to generate and display user specific information are called“program instruction sets.”) At intermediate transmission stations,other commands and computer programs cause computers to generate andtransmit program instruction sets. (Hereinafter, instances of computerprogram information that cause intermediate transmission stationapparatus to generate program instruction set information and/or commandinformation are called “intermediate generation sets.”)

In combined medium communications, particular SPAM commands control theexecution of intermediate generation sets and program instruction setsand the transmission and display of information generated by said sets.Whether said commands control apparatus at intermediate transmissionstations, ultimate receiver stations, or both, the function of saidcommands is to control and synchronize disparate apparatus efficientlyin the display of combined medium programming at ultimate receiverstations. (Accordingly, all said commands are called “combining synchcommands” in this specification.) Most often, combining synch commandssynchronize steps of simultaneous generating of station specificinformation at pluralities of stations and/or steps of simultaneouscombining at pluralities of stations (which steps of combining are, morespecifically, steps of simultaneous transmitting at each station of saidpluralities of separate information into combined transmissions), all ofwhich steps are timed to control simultaneous display of user specificcombined medium information at each station of pluralities of ultimatereceiver stations.

The present invention provides a unified signal system for addressing,controlling, and coordinating all said stations and apparatus. Oneobjective of said system is to control diverse apparatus in thespeediest and most efficient fashions. A second objective is tocommunicate control information in forms that have great flexibility asregards information content capacity. A third objective is tocommunicate information in compact forms, thereby maximizing thecapacity of any given transmission means to communicate signalinformation.

Yet another objective is expandability. As the operating capacities ofcomputer hardware have grown in recent decades, increasinglysophisticated software systems have been developed to operate computers.Often incompatibilities have existed between newly developed operatingsystem software and older generations of computer hardware. It is theobjective of the system of signal composition of the present inventionto have capacity for expanding to accommodate newly developed subscriberstation hardware while still serving older hardware generations. Inpractice this means that the unified system of signals does not consist,at any one time, of one fixed and immutable version of signalcomposition. Rather it is a family of compatible versions. At any giventime, some versions communicate signal information to only the newest ormost sophisticated subscriber station apparatus while at least oneversion communicates to all apparatus. Accordingly, this specificationspeaks of “simple preferred embodiments” and “the simplest preferredembodiment” rather than just one preferred embodiment. How the variousversions and embodiments relate to and are compatible with one anotheris made clear below.

The Composition of Signal Information . . . Commands, InformationSegments, and Padding Bits

SPAM signals contain binary information of the sort well know in the artincluding bit information required for error correction using forwarderror correction techniques, well known in the art, in point tomulti-point communications; request retransmission techniques, wellknown in the art, in point to point communications; and/or other errorcorrection techniques, as appropriate.

FIG. 2E shows one example of the composition of signal information(excluding bit information required for error detection and correction).The information in FIG. 2E commences with a header which is particularbinary information that synchronizes all subscriber station apparatus inthe analysis of the information pattern that follows. Following saidheader are three segments: an execution segment, a meter-monitorsegment, and an information segment. As FIG. 2E shows, the header andexecution and meter-monitor segments constitute a command.

A command is an instance of signal information that is addressed toparticular subscriber station apparatus and that causes said apparatusto perform a particular function or functions. A command is alwaysconstituted of at least a header and an execution segment. With respectto any given command, its execution segment contains information thatspecifies the apparatus that said command addresses and specifies aparticular function or functions that said command causes said apparatusto perform. (Hereinafter, functions that execution segment informationcauses subscriber station apparatus to perform are called “controlledfunctions.”)

Commands often contain meter-monitor segments. Said segments containmeter information and/or monitor information, and the information ofsaid segments causes subscriber station signal processor systems toassemble, record, and transmit meter records to remote billing stationsand monitor records to remote ratings stations in fashions that aredescribed more fully below.

Particular commands (called, hereinafter, “specified conditioncommands”) always contain meter-monitor segments. Said commands causeaddressed apparatus to perform controlled functions only when specifiedconditions exist, and meter-monitor information of said commandsspecifies the conditions that must exist.

In simple preferred embodiments, at any given time the number of binaryinformation bits in any given instance of header information is aparticular constant number. In other words, every header contains thesame number of bits. In the simplest preferred embodiment, said constantnumber is two, all headers consist of two bits binary information, andcommands are identified by one of three binary headers:

-   -   10—a command with an execution segment alone;    -   00—a command with execution and meter-monitor segments; and    -   01—a command with execution and meter-monitor segments that is        followed by an information segment.

Execution segment information includes the subscriber station apparatusthat the command of said segment addresses and the controlled functionssaid apparatus is to perform. (“ITS” refers, hereinafter, tointermediate transmission station apparatus, and “URS” refers toultimate receiver station apparatus.) Examples of addressed apparatusinclude:

-   -   ITS signal processors (in 71 in FIG. 6),    -   ITS controller/computers (73 in FIG. 6),    -   URS signal processors (200 in FIG. 7),    -   URS microcomputers (205 in FIG. 7),    -   URS printers (221 in FIG. 7), and    -   URS utilities meters (262 in FIG. 7).        Examples of controlled functions include:    -   Load and run the contents of the information segment.    -   Decrypt the execution segment using decryption key G.    -   Decrypt the execution and meter-monitor segments using        decryption key J.    -   Commence the video overlay combining designated in the        meter-monitor segment.    -   Modify the execution segment to instruct URS microcomputer, 205,        to commence overlay designated in meter-monitor segment, record        the contents of the execution and meter-monitor segments, and        transfer command to URS microcomputer, 205.    -   Print the contents of the information segment.    -   Record the contents of the execution and meter-monitor segments;        transfer them to URS decryptors, 224, and execute the        preprogrammed instructions that cause URS decryptors, 224, to        commence decrypting with said contents as decryption key;        execute preprogrammed instructions that cause URS cable        converter boxes, 222, to switch to cable channel Z; execute        preprogrammed instructions that cause URS matrix switches, 258,        to configure its switches to transfer the input from converter        boxes, 222, to decryptors, 224, and the output from decryptors,        224, to microcomputers, 205; modify the execution segment to        instruct URS microcomputers, 205, to commence loading and        executing the information received from URS decryptors, 224 via        URS switches, 258.        Commands can address many apparatus and execute many controlled        functions. The apparatus and functions listed here are only        examples. Other addressable apparatus and controlled functions        will become apparent in this full specification.

Execution segment information operates by invoking preprogrammedoperating instructions that exist at each subscriber station apparatusthat is addressed. For example, a command to URS microcomputers, 205, toload and run the contents of the information segment following saidcommand causes each URS microcomputer, 205, to commence processingparticular instructions for loading and running that are preprogrammedat each URS microcomputer, 205.

For each appropriate addressed apparatus and controlled functioncombination a unique execution segment binary information value isassigned. Said command to URS microcomputers, 205, to load and run is,for example, one appropriate combination and is assigned one particularbinary value that differs from all other execution segment informationvalues. In the assignment process, no values are assigned toinappropriate combinations. For example, URS signal processors, 200,have no capacity to overlay, and no execution segment information valueexists to cause URS signal processors, 200, to overlay.

For any given command, the execution segment information of said commandinvokes, at each relevant subscriber station apparatus, thepreprogrammed operating instructions uniquely associated with itsparticular binary value in particular comparing and matching fashionsthat are described more fully below.

The determination of appropriate addressed apparatus and controlledfunction combinations takes into account the facts that differentapparatus, at any given subscriber station, can be preprogrammed tointerpret any given instance of execution segment informationdifferently and that subscriber station apparatus can be preprogrammedto automatically alter execution segment information. For example, ifsignal processors, 200, are preprogrammed to process commands receivedat controller, 12, differently from commands received atbuffer/comparator, 8, the assignment system can reduce the number ofrequired binary values. As a more specific example, buffer/comparator,8, receives a hypothetical command with a particular execution segment(e.g., “101110”) which means “URS signal processors, 200, decrypt theexecution and meter-monitor segments using decryption key J.” Afterbeing decrypted and transferred to controller, 12, the particularexecution segment information that controller, 12, receives (e.g.,“011011”) means “URS microcomputers, 205, commence overlay designated inmeter-monitor segment.” The controlled functions that signal processor,200, performs are the same as those listed above in the example thatbegins, “Modify the . . . ,” and no separate binary value is necessaryfor invoking these controlled functions at URS microcomputers, 200.

The preferred embodiment includes one appropriate command (hereinaftercalled the “pseudo command”) that is addressed to no apparatus and onecommand that is addressed to URS signal processors, 200, (hereinafter,the “meter command”) but does not instruct said processors, 200, toperform any controlled function. These commands are always transmittedwith meter-monitor segment data that receiver station apparatusautomatically process and record. By transmitting pseudo command andmeter command signals, transmission stations cause receiver stationapparatus to record meter-monitor segment information without executingcontrolled functions. The pseudo command enables a so-called ratingsservice to use the same system for gathering ratings on conventionalprogramming transmissions that it uses for combined media withoutcausing combined media apparatus to execute controlled functions atinappropriate times (eg., combine overlays onto displays of conventionaltelevision programming). The meter command causes apparatus such ascontroller, 12, of FIG. 2D to transmit meter information tobuffer/comparator, 14, without performing any controlled function.

In the preferred embodiment, at any given time the number of binaryinformation bits in any given instance of execution segment informationis a particular constant number. In other words, every execution segmentcontains the same number of bits. Said constant number is the smallestnumber of bits capable of representing the binary value of the totalnumber of appropriate addressed apparatus and controlled functioncombinations. And each appropriate combination is assigned a uniquebinary value within the range of binary numbers thus defined.

Meter-monitor segments contain meter information and/or monitorinformation. Examples of categories of such information include:

-   -   meter instructions that instruct subscriber station meter        apparatus to record particular meter-monitor segment information        and maintain meter records of said information;    -   origins of transmissions (eg., network source stations,        broadcast stations, cable head end stations);    -   dates and times;    -   unique identifier codes for each program unit (including        commercials);    -   codes that identify uniquely each combining in a given combined        medium program unit;    -   codes that identify the subject matter of a program unit;    -   unique codes for programming (other than programming identified        by program unit codes) whose use obligates users to make        payments (eg., royalties and residuals); and    -   unique codes that identify the sources and suppliers of computer        data.        The categories listed here provide only examples. Other types of        information can exist in meter information and/or in monitor        information, as will become apparent in this full specification.

For each category of information, a series of binary bits (hereinafter,a “field” or “meter-monitor field”) exists in the meter-monitor segmentto contain the information. In any given category such as origins oftransmissions, each distinct item such as each network source,broadcast, or cable head end station has a unique binary informationcode. In the preferred embodiment, the number of information bits inthat category's meter-monitor field is the smallest number of bitscapable of representing the binary value of the total number of distinctitems. And the information code of each distinct item is within therange of binary numbers thus defined. In the preferred embodiment, dateand time fields have sixteen bits.

Few commands require meter-monitor information of every informationcategory. Often commands require no more than the identification codesof a specific combined medium program unit and of a specific combinedmedium combining within said program unit.

Because the amount of information in meter-monitor segments varies fromcommand to command, in the preferred embodiment more than one formatexists at any given time for meter-monitor segment information. Forexample, one meter-monitor segment may contain origin of transmission,transmission date and time, and program unit information. A second maycontain program unit and combining identification information. The firstis transmitted in a format of three specific fields. The second istransmitted in a different format. It is even possible for differentformats to exist for the same meter-monitor field. For example, oneinstance of date and time information designates a particular day in aparticular one hundred year period. Another designates a particular hourin a particular ninety day period.

Because the number of categories of meter-monitor information variesfrom one command to the next, the length of meter-monitor segmentsvaries. Unlike execution segments which, at any given time, all containthe same number of information bits, the bit length of meter-monitorsegments varies. One segment may contain five fields, totaling 275 bitsin length. Another may contain two fields and 63 bits. A third maycontain three fields and 63 bits. Bit length is not necessarily tied tothe number of fields. And at any given time, a number of differentmeter-monitor segment bit length alternatives exists.

In the preferred embodiment, each instance of a meter-monitor segmentincludes a format field that contains information that specifies theparticular format of the meter-monitor segment of said instance. Withinsaid field is a particular group of binary information bits(hereinafter, the “length token”) that identifies the number of bits ina meter-monitor segment of said format. Each alternate length token hasa unique binary information code. The number of information bits in eachinstance of a length token is the smallest number of bits capable ofrepresenting the binary value of the total number of meter-monitorsegment bit length alternatives. And the unique code of each differentalternative is within the range of binary numbers thus defined.

In the preferred embodiment, each distinct meter-monitor segment format(including each distinct field format) also has a unique binaryinformation code. In cases where a given format is the only format thatcontains a given length token, the unique code of said token issufficient to identify said format uniquely. For example, if aparticular format is the only format that is 197 binary bits long,information that said format is 197 bits long is sufficient informationto identify said format uniquely. But two or more formats that containthe same length token information require additional binary informationto distinguish them uniquely. Thus the number of information bits in anygiven instance of a format field is the total of the number of bits inthe length token plus the smallest number of bits capable ofrepresenting the number of formats that share in common the oneparticular length token datum that occurs most frequently in differentformats. And the format code of each distinct format is within the rangeof binary numbers thus defined except that only length token informationexists in the bits of the length token.

FIG. 2F illustrates one instance of a meter-monitor segment (excludingbit information required for error detection and correction). FIG. 2Fshows three fields totalling thirty sequential bits. The format field istransmitted first followed by two fields of nine and sixteen bitsrespectively, and the bits of the length token are the first bits ofsaid format field. The SPAM system that uses said format field hascapacity for no more than eight alternate meter-monitor segment lengthsand thirty-two formats. A three bit length token can specify no morethan eight length alternatives, and a five bit format field can specifyno more than thirty-two. Said SPAM system has no fewer than fivealternate lengths because four or fewer length alternatives would berepresented in a length token of two or fewer bits. In said system,three or four formats share in common the particular length token thatoccurs most frequently in different formats. Two formats sharing themost commonly shared length token datum would be specified in one bit;five or more sharing said datum would be represented in three or morebits. Accordingly, the format field of FIG. 2F must represent at leasteight alternate formats.

In the preferred embodiment, the bits of the length token are the firstbits in each meter-monitor segment. In any given command containingmeter-monitor information, said bits follow immediately after the lastbit of the execution segment. The remaining bits of the format field areincluded in each meter-monitor segment in particular locations that liewithin the format of the shortest meter-monitor segment (excluding bitinformation required for error detection and correction). Thus if theshortest meter-monitor segment (including the format field of saidsegment) is thirty two bits, the bits of the format field in everyinstance of a meter-monitor segment lie among the first thirty two bitsof said segment.

Information segments follow commands and can be of any length. Programinstruction sets, intermediate generation sets, other computer programinformation, and data (all of which are organized in a fashion orfashions well known in the art) are transmitted in information segments.An information segment can transmit any information that a processor canprocess. It can transmit compiled machine language code or assemblylanguage code or higher level language programs, all of which are wellknown in the art. Commands can execute such program information andcause compiling prior to execution.

A command with a “01” header is followed by an information segment. Buta command with an “01” header is not the only instance of signalinformation that contains an information segment. In the simplestpreferred embodiment, a fourth type of header is:

-   -   11—an additional information segment transmission following a        “01” header command and one or more information segments which        additional segment is addressed to the same apparatus and        invokes the same controlled functions as said “01” command.        An instance of signal information with a “11” header contains no        execution segment or meter-monitor segment information. Said        instance is processed, in fashions described more fully below,        by subscriber station apparatus that receive said instance as if        said instance contained the execution segment information of the        last “01” header command received at said apparatus prior to the        receipt of said instance.

In determining the composition of signal information in the preferredembodiment, the present invention must take into account the fact thatmost computer systems communicate information in signal words that areof a constant binary length that exceeds one bit. At present, mostcomputer information is communicated in so-called “bytes,” each of whichconsists of eight digital bits. Failure to recognize this fact couldresult in incomplete signals and/or in erroneous processing in signalinformation. For example, FIG. 2G shows a command with a header, anexecution segment, and a meter-monitor segment, each of which is ofparticular bit length. However, the command of FIG. 2G is onlytwenty-one bits long. As FIG. 2G shows, said command constitutes twobytes of eight bits each with five bits are left over. In a system thatcommunicates information only in words that are multiples of eight, asignal whose information is represented in twenty-one information bitsis incomplete. To constitute a complete communication, said signal mustbe transmitted in twenty-four bits. To the command of FIG. 2G, threebits must be added.

In the preferred embodiment, at the original transmission station of anygiven signal transmission, particular bits are added at the end of anycommand that is not already a multiple of the particular signal word bitlength that applies in signal processor system communications at thesubscriber stations to which said transmission is transmitted.(Hereinafter, said bits are called “padding bits.”) Padding bitscommunicate no command information nor are padding bits part of anyinformation segment. The sole purpose of padding bits is to render theinformation of any given SPAM command into a bit length that is, byitself, complete for signal processor system communication. Padding bitsare added to command information prior to the transmission of saidinformation at said station, and all subscriber station apparatus arepreprogrammed to process padding bits. The particular number of paddingbits that are added to any given command is the smallest number of bitsrequired to render the bit length of said command into a multiple ofsaid signal word bit length. FIG. 2H shows three padding bits added atthe end of the twenty-one command information bits of the command ofFIG. 2G. to render the information of said command into a form that canbe communicated in three eight-bit bytes.

In the preferred embodiment, the information of each information segmentis composed and transmitted in a bit length that is, itself, exactly amultiple of the particular signal word bit length that applies incomputer communications at said subscriber stations. The information ofeach information segment commences at the first information bit locationof the first signal word of said segment and ends at the lastinformation bit location of the last signal word. Each informationsegments follow a command or “11” header. More precisely, the firstsignal word of each information segment is the first complete signalword that follows the last information bit of said command or “11”header or the last padding bit following said command or “11” header ifone or more padding bits follow.

As one example, FIG. 2I shows the information of FIG. 2E organized ineight-bit bytes. While the information of the execution segment in FIG.2I follows immediately after the header and the information of themeter-monitor segment follows immediately after the execution segment,the information of the information segment does not follow immediatelyafter the meter-monitor segment. Rather three padding bits are insertedfollowing the command information of FIG. 2I to complete the signal wordin which the last bit of command information occurs, and the informationof the information segment begins at the first bit of the first completebyte following said meter-monitor segment.

The method of the preferred embodiment for composing the information ofSPAM signals has significant advantages.

In signal processing, speed of execution is often of criticalimportance, and the preferred embodiment has significant speedadvantages. Most commands require the fastest possible processing. Byminimizing the bit length of headers, execution segments, andmeter-monitor segments, the preferred embodiment provides compactinformation and control messages that are transmitted, detected, andexecuted, in general, in the fastest possible fashion.

In signal processing, flexibility of message structure is also ofcritical importance. The single, unified system of the present inventionmust have capacity for communicating to many different apparatusmessages that vary greatly in complexity, length, and priority for speedof processing. By providing first priority segment capacity—in thesimplest preferred embodiment, execution segments—that is short, rigidin format, and can communicate information to many different addressedapparatus, the preferred embodiment provides capacity to communicate aselect number of high priority control messages to many alternateapparatus in the fastest possible time. By providing intermediatepriority segment capacity—in the simplest preferred embodiment,meter-monitor segments—that is flexible in length, format, andinformation content, the preferred embodiment provides more flexiblecapacity to communicate control messages of slightly lower priority. Byproviding lowest priority segment capacity—in the simplest preferredembodiment, information segments—that can contain any binary informationand be any length, the preferred embodiment provides completeflexibility to communicate any message that can be represented indigital information to any apparatus at the lowest processing priority.By transmitting message components in their order of priority—in thesimplest preferred embodiment, headers and execution segments thenmeter-monitor segments then information segments—the preferredembodiment enables priority message instructions to affect subscriberstation operations in the fastest possible fashion. By providingcapacity for alternating the structure of individual messages—herealternate header capacity—so that individual control messages can beconstituted only of the highest priority information or high andintermediate priority information or can be focused on the lowestpriority, the preferred embodiment provides additional valuableflexibility.

Speed and flexibility are essential considerations not only in thecomposition of individual messages but also in the composition ofmessage streams. In this regard, the use of “11” headers in thepreferred embodiment brings valuable benefits.

Often in the course of a combined medium presentation, a series ofcontrol messages is transmitted each of which contains an informationsegment, addresses the same apparatus (for example, URS microcomputers,205), and causes said apparatus to invoke the same controlled functionor functions (for example, “load and run the contents of the informationsegment”). Often, interspersed in said series, are other controlmessages that address said apparatus, contain no information segments,and cause said apparatus to invoke other controlled functions (forexample, “commence the video overlay combining designated in themeter-monitor segment”). By including capacity whereby, withoutcontaining execution or meter-monitor information, a given message cancause information segment information to be processed at subscriberstation apparatus just as preceding information segment information wasprocessed, the present invention increases processing efficiency.Because no execution or meter-monitor segment is transmitted, moreinformation segment information can be transmitted in a given period oftime. Because no execution or meter-monitor segment is received andprocessed at subscriber stations, information segment information can bereceived and processed faster.

In signal processing, efficiency in the control of subscriber stationapparatus is yet another factor of critical importance. By composinglowest priority segment information—in the simplest preferredembodiment, information of information segments—to commence at a bitlocation that subscriber station apparatus are preprogrammed to defineas the first location of a signal word of the form that control saidapparatus in processing and to continue to a bit location that is thelast location of a signal word of said form, the present inventioncommunicates said information to said apparatus in a form that cancommence the control functions communicated in said informationimmediately. Were information segment information communicated in anyform other than that of the preferred embodiment—more specifically, weresaid information to be in a length other than a whole number of signalwords or to commence immediately after the command or header precedingsaid segment rather than at the first bit of a signal word—subscriberstation apparatus would need to process said information intoinformation of a form that could control said apparatus before theinformation of said segment could commence the particular controlfunctions communicated in said information.

The Organization of Message Streams . . . Messages, Cadence Information,and End of File Signals

All of the information transmitted with a given header is called a“message.” Each header begins a message, and each message begins with aheader. More specifically, a message consists of all the SPAMinformation, transmitted in a given transmission, from the first bit ofone header to the last bit transmitted before the first bit of the nextheader.

A SPAM message is the modality whereby the original transmission stationthat originates said message controls specific addressed apparatus atsubscriber stations. The information of any given SPAM transmissionconsists of a series or stream of sequentially transmitted SPAMmessages.

Each instance of a header synchronizes all subscriber station apparatusin the analysis of the internal structure of the message that follows.

However, for the unified system of the present invention to work,subscriber station apparatus must have capacity for distinguishing morethan the internal structure of individual messages. Said apparatus mustalso have capacity for processing streams of SPAM messages anddistinguishing the individual messages in said streams from one another.More precisely, said apparatus must have capacity for processing streamsof binary information that consist only of “0” and “1” bits anddistinguishing which information, among said bits, is headerinformation.

Cadence information which consists of headers, certain length tokens,and signals that are called “end of file signals” enables subscriberstation apparatus to distinguish each instance of header information inany given message stream and, hence, to distinguish the individualmessages of said stream. In the present invention, subscriber stationapparatus are preprogrammed to process cadence information.

SPAM messages are composed of elements—headers, execution segments,meter-monitor segments, and information segments—whose bit lengths vary.SPAM apparatus determine the bit length of said elements in differentfashions, and the particular fashion that applies to any given elementrelates to the priority of said element for subscriber station speed ofprocessing. First priority segment information has the highest priorityfor speedy processing and is of fixed binary bit length. A SPAM headeris one example of a first priority segment. An execution segment isanother example. Intermediate priority segment information has lowerpriority, varies in bit length, but contains internal lengthinformation. A Meter-monitor segment is one example of an intermediatepriority segment. Lowest priority segment information has the lowestpriority, varies in length, and contains no internal information fordetermining segment length. Each information segment is an example of alowest priority segment.

For a message that is constituted only of first priority segments, theinformation of the header is sufficient to distinguish not only thestructure of the message but also the location of the next header. Inthe simplest preferred embodiment, a message with a “10” header is oneexample of a message constituted only of first priority segments.Commands with “10” headers consist of header information and executionsegment information. At any given time, all instances of headerinformation are of one constant length, and all instances of executionsegment information are of a second constant length. Thus all “10”commands are, themselves, of a particular header+exec constant length,said header+exec constant being the sum of said one constant plus saidsecond constant. Because “10” messages have constant length and headerinformation always occurs at a specific location in every instance ofmessage information, by preprogramming subscriber station apparatus withinformation of said header+exec constant, the unified system of thepresent invention enables subscriber station apparatus to automaticallyidentify the last command information bit of “10” messages. Said bit isalways the bit that is located a particular quantity of bits after thefirst header bit which particular quantity equals said header+execconstant minus one. Being able to locate said last bit, said apparatuscan automatically locate the next instance of header information in afashion described below.

For messages whose elements include intermediate priority segmentinformation but no lowest priority segment information, the informationof said messages is also sufficient to distinguish message structure andthe location of the next header. In the simplest preferred embodiment,each message associated with an “00” header is one such message.Messages with “00” headers consist of header and execution segmentinformation that are, together, of said header+exec constant length plusmeter-monitor segment information that contains length tokeninformation. By preprogramming subscriber station apparatus withinformation for processing length token information, the presentinvention enables said apparatus to determine the particular informationbit, following any instance of a “00” header, that is the last bit ofthe command of said header. Said bit is always the bit that is located aparticular quantity of bits after the first header bit which quantityequals said header+exec constant minus one plus the particularpreprogrammed quantity that said apparatus associates, in apreprogrammed fashion described more fully below, with the particularlength token of said instance. By locating said last bit, said apparatuscan automatically locate the next instance of header information in thefashion described below.

For messages whose elements include lowest priority segment information,particular end of lowest priority segment information is required todistinguish full message structure and the location of the next header.In the simplest preferred embodiment, each message associated with a“01” or a “11” contains an information segment header and is one suchmessage. Information segments vary in length, and no internalinformation of a command or information segment enables subscriberstation apparatus to determine the length of an information segment.Thus distinctive end of file signals are required to communicate thelocations of the ends of information segments to subscriber stationapparatus. In the present invention, each end of file signal istransmitted immediately after the end of an information segment; saidsignal is part of the information of the message in which said segmentoccurs; and said signal is located at the end of said message. Bypreprogramming subscriber station apparatus to detect and process end offile signals in a fashion described more fully below, the presentinvention enables said apparatus to determine not only the particularinformation bit, following any instance of a “01” or “11” header, thatis the last bit of the information segment of the message of said headerbut also the particular information bit, following said header, that isthe last bit of said message. By locating said last bit of said message,said apparatus can automatically locate the next instance of headerinformation in the fashion described below.

At any given time, subscriber station apparatus are preprogrammed toprocess only one distinct signal as an end of file signal. In order forsaid apparatus to distinguish an instance of said signal from all othersignal information, an end of file signal must differ distinctly fromall other information. Signal information, especially informationtransmitted in an information segment, can vary greatly in composition.Accordingly, to be distinctive, an end of file signal must be long andcomplex to detect.

An end of file signal consists of a particular sequence of bits ofbinary information. In the preferred embodiment each bit is identical toevery other bit; that is, disregarding error correction information, anend of file signal consists of a sequence of “1” bits (eg. “11111111”)or “0” bits (eg. “00000000”). In the preferred embodiment, end of filesignals are composed of “1” bits rather than “0” bits. Zero is a valuethat occurs frequently in data and in mathematics, and however many bitsmay occur in a binary data word that consists of a series of “0” bits,the numeric value of said word remains zero. Numeric values that arerepresented in binary form by a sequence of “1” bits, especially asequence that is long, occur in data and mathematics far less frequentlythan zero. Thus the preferred composition bit is “1” because the chanceof data being joined in a given signal in such a way that two or moreinstance of information combine inadvertently and create the appearanceof an end of file signal is far smaller if the preferred bit is “1” thanif it is “0”. (Hereinafter, the preferred binary end of file signalcomposition bit, “1”, is called an “EOFS bit,” and for reasons that areexplained below, the alternate binary bit, “0”, is called a “MOVE bit.”)

In the preferred embodiment, the length of said sequence (disregardingerror correction information) is the minimum reasonable length necessaryto distinguish said sequence from all other sequences of transmittedsignal information of said length. In the preferred embodiment, thenumber of bits in said sequence is greater than the number ofinformation bits in the data words that subscriber station computers useto process data. At present, most computers are so-called “thirty-twobit machines” that process information in four-byte data words, and somehigh precision microprocessors such as the 8087 mathematics coprocessordistributed by the Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif., U.S.A.process information internally in eighty bit registers which means thatthey process in 10-byte data words. Thus said sequence may be greaterthan eighty bits long and is probably greater than thirty-two bits. Alsoin the preferred embodiment, said sequence uses the full informationcapacity of the signal words used to communicate said sequence atsubscriber stations. In computer systems that communicate information ineight-bit bytes, forty bits is the number of bits in the sequence nextlarger than thirty-two bits that uses the full communication capacity ofthe signal words in which it is communicated, and eighty-eight is thenumber of bits in the sequence next larger than eighty bits. In thepreferred embodiment, at any given time alternate end of file signallengths exist. One potential end of file signal length can be forty (40)bits which is five bytes of EOFS bits. Another can be eighty-eight (88)bits which is eleven bytes of EOFS bits. Which end of file signal isused for any given transmission depends on the nature of the informationof the transmission in which said signal occurs and the apparatus towhich said transmission is transmitted.

Being the minimum “reasonable” length means that an instance of saidsequence may actually be generated, in the system of the preferredembodiment, which instance is generated as information of a command oran information segment rather than an end of file signal. Were theinformation of said instance to be embedded in a SPAM transmission ofsaid system and transmitted, said instance would cause erroneouslyprocessing at subscriber station apparatus by causing itself to bedetected as an end of file signal and information transmitted subsequentto said instance to be interpreted as a new SPAM message. To preventsuch erroneous processing, in the preferred embodiment, after theinitial generation of any given instance of SPAM message information(not including end of file signal information) and before the embeddingand transmitting of said instance, said information is transmittedthrough an apparatus, called an “EOFS valve,” that detects end of filesignals and is described below. If said valve detects in saidinformation particular information that constitutes an end of filesignal, before being embedded and transmitted, the binary information ofsaid instance is rewritten, in a fashion well known in the art that maybe manual, to cause substantively the same information processing atsubscriber stations without containing an instance of information thatis identical to the information of an end of file signal. (Hereinafter,such pre-transmission processing of a message is called a“pre-transmission evaluation.”)

FIG. 2I shows a series of connected rectangles and depicts one instanceof a stream of SPAM messages. Each rectangle represents one signal wordof binary information. FIG. 2I shows a series of three messages. Eachmessage is composed in a whole number of signal words. The first messageconsists of a command followed by padding bits followed by aninformation segment followed by an end of file signal. The form of thecommand, padding bits, and the first information segment bits of saidmessage is identical to the form of the information of FIG. 2E, giveneight-bit bytes as the signal words of FIG. 2I. The second messageconsists of a command followed by padding bits. The form of said secondmessage is identical to the form of the information of FIG. 2H, giveneight-bit bytes as the signal words of FIG. 2I. The third messageconsists of a command alone. The form of said third message is identicalto the form of the information of FIG. 2J, given eight-bit bytes as thesignal words of FIG. 2I. FIG. 2J shows a message that is composed justof a “10” header and an execution segment. Said execution segmentcontains the same number of binary bits that the executions segments ofFIGS. 2E and 2H contain. Said header and execution segment of FIG. 2Jfill one byte of binary information precisely, and given the signal wordof an eight-bit byte, no padding bits are required in the message ofFIG. 2J. FIG. 2H does not show an instance of a message that starts witha “11” header. Were it to do so, said message would be comprised of saidheader followed by six padding bits, given eight-bit bytes as the signalwords of FIG. 2I, followed by an information segment, like theinformation segment of the first message of FIG. 2H, followed by an endof file signal, like the end of file signal of said first message.

As FIG. 2I shows, in any given SPAM transmission, no binary informationseparates the binary information of one SPAM message from the nextmessage. As soon as the information of one SPAM message ends (includingall error correction information associated with said information), thenext received binary information is information of the next message.Because the first information bits (as distinct from error correctionbits) of any given SPAM message constitute the header information ofsaid message, subscriber station apparatus locate the next instance ofheader information after any given message by locating the lastinformation bit of the last signal word of said message. Automaticallythe first information bits that follow said last bit and total in numberthe particular number of bits in an instance of header informationconstitute the next instance of header information.

Subscriber station apparatus locate the last information bit of anygiven SPAM message in one of two fashions. One fashion applies tomessages that do not end with end of file signals. The other applies tomessages that do. The header information of any given message determineswhich fashion applies for said message.

Messages that are constituted only of first priority segment elementsand messages whose elements include intermediate priority segmentinformation but no lowest priority segment information do not end withend of file signals. In the preferred embodiment, the header informationof any given one of said messages cause subscriber station apparatus toexecute particular preprogrammed locate-last-message-bit instructions ata particular time. In the simplest preferred embodiment, such messagesbegin with “10” or “00” headers.

Receiving any given instance of said header information causessubscriber stations processing message information of said instance toexecute said locate-last-message-bit instructions after locating thelast segment information bit of said instance and upon completing theprocessing of the segment information of said instance. (The fashionswhereby subscriber station apparatus locate the last command informationbit of any given instance of a message with a “10” or a “00” header aredescribed above.) In a fashion that is described more fully below, saidlocate-last-message-bit instructions cause said apparatus to determinewhether the signal word in which said last segment information bitoccurs contains one or more MOVE bits. If said signal word contains MOVEbit information, the last information bit of said signal word is thelast information bit of said message. If said signal word does notcontain MOVE bit information, the last information bit of said messageis last information bit of the next signal word immediately followingsaid signal word in which said last segment information bit occurs. (Forreasons that relate to detecting end of file signals and are discussedmore fully below, in the preferred embodiment a complete signal word ofpadding bits is transmitted after any given instance of a signal wordthat contains no MOVE bit information and in which occurs the last bitof command information of the message of said instance.)

Messages that contain lowest priority segment information end with endof file signals, and the header information of said messages do notcause subscriber station apparatus to execute particular preprogrammedlocate-last-message-bit instructions. End of file signals define theends of messages that contain lowest priority segment information. Inthe simplest preferred embodiment, such messages begin with “10” or “00”headers. The last information bit of the end of file signal immediatelyfollowing any given “10” or “00” header information message is the lastinformation bit of the message of said “10” or “00” header, andsubscriber station apparatus are preprogrammed to locate said bit in afashion that is described below.

After locating any given instance of a last information bit of amessage, subscriber station apparatus are preprogrammed to processautomatically as header information the first information bits,following said bit, that are in number the particular number of bits inan instance of header information.

In this fashion, cadence information—header information, the lengthtokens of messages that contain intermediate priority segmentinformation but no lowest priority segment information, and end of filesignals—enables subscriber station apparatus to distinguish eachinstance of header information—and, hence, each message—in any givenstream of SPAM messages.

Detecting End of File Signals

In the present invention, any microprocessor, buffer/comparator, orbuffer can be adapted and preprogrammed to detect end of file signals.At any given SPAM apparatus that is so adapted and preprogrammed,particular dedicated capacity exists for said detecting. Said capacityincludes standard register memory or RAM capacity, well known in theart, including three particular memory locations for comparisonpurposes, one particular memory location to serve as a counter, andthree so-called “flag bit” locations to hold particular true/falseinformation. (Hereinafter, said three particular memory locations, saidone particular memory location, and said three flag bit locations arecalled the “EOFS Word Evaluation Location,” “EOFS Standard WordLocation,” and “EOFS Standard Length Location”; the “EOFS WORD Counter”;and the “EOFS WORD Flag,” “EOFS Empty Flag,” and “EOFS Complete Flag”all respectively.) All operating instructions required to control saidmemory or RAM capacity in detecting end of file signals arepreprogrammed as so-called “firmware” at said apparatus. (In thisspecification, said dedicated capacity is called an “EOFS valve”because, in addition to detecting end of file signals, said capacityalso regulates the flow of SPAM information in fashions that aredescribed more fully below.)

At any given EOFS valve, the EOFS Word Evaluation Location and EOFSStandard Word Location are conventional dynamic memory locations eachcapable of holding one full signal word of binary information. The EOFSStandard Length Location and the EOFS WORD Counter are each conventionaldynamic memory locations capable of holding, at a minimum, eight binarybits—that is, one byte—of information. The EOFS WORD Flag, EOFS EmptyFlag, and EOFS Complete Flag are each conventional dynamic memorylocations capable of holding, at a minimum, one bit of binaryinformation.

At any given time, said valve holds particular information. At said EOFSWord Evaluation Location is one signal word of received SPAMinformation. At said EOFS Standard Word Location is one signal word ofEOFS bits. (Hereinafter, one signal word of EOFS bits is called an “EOFSWORD.”) At said EOFS Standard Length Location is information of thetotal number of EOFS WORDs in the particular end of file signal thatapplies at said time on the particular transmission received at saidvalve. Information of the decimal value, eleven, is at said StandardLength Location unless information of a number is placed at saidLocation in a fashion described below. At the EOFS WORD Counter isinformation of the number of EOFS WORDs that said valve has received inuninterrupted sequence. And all said Flag locations contain binary “0”or “1” information to reflect true or false conditions in relation toparticular comparisons.

At any given time, any given EOFS valve receives inputted binaryinformation of one selected SPAM transmission from one particularexternal transferring apparatus that is external to said valve. Saidinformation consists of a series of discrete signal words. And saidvalve outputs information to one particular external receivingapparatus.

Receiving any given signal word of said transmission, causes said EOFSvalve to commence, in respect to said given signal word, a particularword evaluation sequence that is fully automatic. Automatically saidvalve places information of said word at said EOFS Word EvaluationLocation and compares the information at said Location to the EOFS WORDinformation at said EOFS Standard Word Location. Whenever saidcomparison is made, resulting in a match causes said valve automaticallyto set the information of said EOFS WORD Flag to “0”. (Resulting in amatch means that said given signal word is an EOFS WORD and may be apart of an end of file signal.) Not resulting in a match causes saidvalve automatically to set the information of said EOFS WORD Flag to“1”. Then automatically said valve determines the value of saidinformation at said EOFS WORD Flag, in a fashion well known in the art,and executes one of two sets of word evaluation sequence instructions onthe basis of the outcome of said determining.

One set, the process-EOFS-WORD instructions, is executed whenever theinformation at said EOFS WORD Flag indicates that said given signal wordis an EOFS WORD. Determining a value of “0” at said EOFS WORD Flagcauses said valve to execute said set. Automatically the instructions ofsaid set cause said valve to retain count information of said givensignal word by increasing the value of the information at said EOFS WORDCounter by an increment of one. (Incrementing said Counter by onedocuments the fact that, in receiving said given signal word, said valvehas received, in uninterrupted sequence, one signal word that may bepart of an end of file signal more than it had received before itreceived said given signal word.) Then automatically said valve comparesthe information at said EOFS WORD Counter to the information at saidEOFS Standard Length Location. Resulting in a match causes said valveautomatically to set the information of said EOFS Complete Flag to “0”.(A match of the information at said Counter with the information at saidLocation means that said given signal word is the last EOFS WORD in anuninterrupted sequence of EOFS WORDS that equals in length the length ofan end of file signal; in other words, said match means that an end offile signal has been detected.) Not resulting in a match causes saidvalve automatically to set the information of said EOFS Complete Flag to“1”. (Not resulting in a match means said EOFS WORD is not the last EOFSWORD of an end of file signal and that insufficient information has beenreceived to determine whether or not said given signal word is part ofan end of file signal.) Then automatically said valve determines thevalue of said information at said EOFS Complete Flag. Determining avalue of “0” at said Flag, which means that an end of file signal hasbeen detected, causes said valve to operate in a fashion described morefully below. Determining a value of “1” at said Flag causes said valve,in a fashion described more fully below, to complete said wordevaluation sequence, in respect to said given signal word, withouttransferring any information of said given signal word to said externalreceiving apparatus.

The other set, the transfer-all-word-information instructions, isexecuted whenever the information at said EOFS WORD Flag indicates thatsaid given signal word is not an EOFS WORD. Whenever said valve detectsa signal word that is not an EOFS WORD, detecting said word means notonly that said word is not part of an end of file signal but also thatany EOFS WORDs retained in an uninterrupted sequence immediately priorto said word are also not part of an end of file signal. Determining avalue of “1” at said EOFS WORD Flag causes said valve to execute saidother set. Automatically the instructions of said other set cause saidvalve to compare the information at said EOFS WORD Counter to particularzero information that is among the preprogrammed information of saidvalve. (Not having been incremented by one under control of saidprocess-EOFS-WORD instructions, said Counter contains information of thenumber of EOFS WORDs received in an uninterrupted sequence and retainedat said valve at the time when said given signal word is received.)Resulting in a match causes said valve automatically to set theinformation of said EOFS Empty Flag to “0”. (Resulting in a match meansthat said valve is empty of retained EOFS WORD information.) Notresulting in a match causes said valve automatically to set theinformation of said EOFS Empty Flag to “1”. (Not resulting in a matchmeans that said valve contains information of EOFS WORDs that have notbeen transferred to said external receiving apparatus.) Thenautomatically said valve determines the value of said information atsaid EOFS Empty Flag. A determining of “1” causes said valve to executeparticular transfer-counted-information instructions that are notexecuted if the information at said Flag is “0”. Under control of saidinstructions, said valve automatically outputs one instance of said EOFSWORD information at said EOFS Standard Word Location a particular numberof times which particular number is the numerical value of theinformation at said EOFS WORD Counter. (In so doing, said valvetransfers information of all of the signal words received before saidgiven signal word and not transferred to said external receivingapparatus.) Then said transfer-counted-information instructions causesaid valve to set the value at said EOFS WORD Counter to zero (toreflect that said valve is now empty of information of untransferredsignal words). Then, whether or not said valve has executed saidtransfer-counted-information instructions, said valve outputsinformation of said given signal word at said EOFS Word EvaluationLocation and completes said word evaluation sequence, in respect to saidgiven signal word.

Whenever said valve completes said word evaluation sequence, in respectto any given signal word, said valve informs said external transferringapparatus (in a so-called “handshaking” fashion, well known in the art,or in such other flow control fashion as may be appropriate) that saidvalve is ready to receive next signal word information. Whenever, aftertransferring a given signal word, said apparatus is so informed, saidapparatus transfers to said decoder the next signal word of saidtransmission immediately following said given signal word. Receivingsaid next signal word causes said valve to commence said word evaluationsequence, in respect to said next signal word. Automatically said valveplaces information of said next signal word at said EOFS Word EvaluationLocation, and in so doing, overwrites and obliterates information ofsaid given word at said EOFS Word Evaluation Location.

In this fashion, said valve processes each successive signal word todetect those particular uninterrupted series of EOFS WORDs thatconstitute end of file signals.

As described above, determining, under control of said process-EOFS-WORDinstructions, that the value of the information at said EOFS CompleteFlag is “0” means that an end of file signal has been detected.Determining, under control of said instructions, that said value is “0”causes said valve to execute particular complete-signal-detectedinstructions. Said instructions cause said valve to inform said externalreceiving apparatus of the presence of an end of file signal in afashion that is the preprogrammed fashion of the microprocessor,buffer/comparator, or buffer of which said valve is an adaptedcomponent.

As one example of said fashion, for a buffer or buffer/comparatorapparatus that operates under control of a controller to processreceived signal words and transfer signal information to amicroprocessor (which may be a component of said controller), saidinstructions cause said valve to cause said apparatus to transmitparticular EOFS-signal-detected information to said controller then towait, in a waiting fashion well known in the art, for a controlinstruction from said controller. Said EOFS-signal-detected informationcauses said controller to determine, in a preprogrammed fashion, how toprocess the particular EOFS information at said valve and to transmiteither a particular transmit-and-wait instruction or a particulardiscard-and-wait instruction to said valve. (Examples of controlleroperations are presented below.) Said transmit-and-wait instructioncauses said valve to transfer one complete end of file signal. Moreprecisely, said instruction causes said valve automatically to outputone instance of said EOFS WORD information at said EOFS Standard WordLocation a particular number of times which particular number is thenumerical value of the information at said EOFS Standard LengthLocation. Then automatically said valve sets the information at saidEOFS WORD Counter to zero (thereby signifying that no EOFS WORDs areretained), completes said word evaluation sequence, in respect to thesignal word of the information at said EOFS Word Evaluation Location,and transmits particular complete-and-waiting information to saidcontroller. Alternatively, said discard-and-wait instruction causes saidvalve merely to set the information at said EOFS WORD Counter to zero(thereby discarding information of said end of file signal), to completesaid word evaluation sequence, in respect to said signal word of theinformation at said EOFS Word Evaluation Location, and to transmit saidcomplete-and-waiting information to said controller. Subsequently, saidcomplete-and-waiting information causes said controller to transmitfurther instructions that control said apparatus and said valve in theprocessing of further information and the detecting of further end offile signals.

In the preferred embodiment, said EOFS-signal-detected information andsaid complete-and-waiting information are control signals that aretransmitted by said valve and said apparatus to said controller asinterrupts to the CPU of said controller.

An example illustrates the operation of an EOFS valve.

FIG. 2 shows one message that is of a particular command composed of a“00” header, an execution segment, and a meter-monitor segment. Theinformation of said command fills four bytes of binary precisely. Thelast bit of said meter-monitor segment is the last bit of the fourthbyte of said command. But because the byte in which said last bit occurscontains no MOVE bit information, according to the rules of messagecomposition of the preferred embodiment, one full signal word of paddingbits follows said command.

When the message of FIG. 2 is transmitted, a given EOFS valve receivesthe transmission of said message from a particular transferringapparatus and transfers information to a particular receiving apparatus.Said valve is adapted and preprogrammed to process eight-bit bytes assignal words. The information at the EOFS Standard Word Location of saidvalve is the EOFS WORD of the preferred embodiment: “11111111”. The EOFSStandard Length Location and EOFS WORD Counter of said valve each holdone byte of binary information. The binary information at said EOFSStandard Length Location is “00001011”, a binary number whose decimalequivalent is eleven. The binary information at said EOFS WORD Counteris “00000000”, a binary number whose decimal value is zero.

Receiving the first byte of said message causes said valve to placeinformation of said byte at said EOFS Word Evaluation Location and tocompare the information at said Location, “10010100”, to the EOFS WORDinformation at said EOFS Standard Word Location, “11111111”. No matchresults which causes said valve automatically to set the information ofsaid EOFS WORD Flag to “1”. Automatically said valve determines thevalue of said information at said Flag is “1” which causes said valve toexecute said transfer-all-word-information instructions. Automaticallysaid valve compares the information at said EOFS WORD Counter, zero, tosaid zero information that is among the preprogrammed information ofsaid valve. (The binary value of each instance of zero information is“00000000”.) A match results which causes said valve automatically toset the information of said EOFS Empty Flag to “0”. Automatically saidvalve determines that the value of said information at said EOFS EmptyFlag is “0” and skips executing said transfer-counted-informationinstructions. Automatically said valve continues executing conventionalones of said transfer-all-word-information instructions; transfersinformation of said first byte at said EOFS word evaluationlocation—which information is “10010100”—to said receiving apparatus;completes said word evaluation sequence, in respect to said first byte;and transfers handshake information to said transferring apparatus thatinforms said apparatus that said valve is ready to receive next signalword information.

Receiving said handshake information causes said transferring apparatusto transfer the next byte of said message to said valve.

Receiving said next byte, which is the second byte, causes said valve toplace information of said byte at said EOFS Word Evaluation Location andto compare the information at said Location, “11001000”, to the EOFSWORD information at said EOFS Standard Word Location, “11111111”. Nomatch results which causes said valve to set the information of saidEOFS WORD Flag to “1”. Automatically said valve determines that theinformation at said Flag is “1” which causes said valve to execute saidtransfer-all-word-information instructions. Automatically said valvecompares the information at said EOFS WORD Counter, zero, to said zeroinformation that is among the preprogrammed information of said valve. Amatch results which causes said valve to set the information of saidEOFS Empty Flag to “0”. Automatically said valve determines that theinformation at said EOFS Empty Flag is “0”. Automatically said valvecontinues executing conventional transfer-all-word-informationinstructions; transfers information of said second byte at said EOFSword evaluation location—which information is “11001000”—to saidreceiving apparatus; completes said word evaluation sequence, in respectto said second byte; and informs said transferring apparatus that saidvalve is ready to receive next signal word information which causes saidapparatus to transfer to said valve the next byte of said message.

Receiving said next byte, which is the third byte, causes said valve toplace information of said byte at said EOFS Word Evaluation Location andto compare the information at said Location, “11111111”, to the EOFSWORD at said EOFS Standard Word Location, “11111111”. A match results,causing said valve to set the information of said EOFS WORD Flag to “0”.Automatically said valve determines that the information at said Flag is“0” which causes said valve to execute said process-EOFS-WORDinstructions. Automatically, in a fashion well known in the art, saidvalve increases the value of the information at said EOFS WORD Counterby an increment of one from “00000000” to “00000001”. Automatically saidvalve compares the information at said EOFS WORD Counter, “00000001”, tothe information at said EOFS Standard Length Location, “00001011”. Nomatch results which causes said valve automatically to set theinformation of said EOFS Complete Flag to “1”. Automatically said valvedetermines that the value of said information at said EOFS Complete Flagis “1” which causes said valve automatically to complete said wordevaluation sequence, in respect to said third byte, without transferringany information of said byte to said receiving apparatus. Automaticallysaid valve then informs said transferring apparatus that said valve isready to receive next signal word information which causes saidapparatus to transfer to said valve the next byte of said message.

Receiving said next byte, which is the fourth byte, causes said valve toplace information of said byte at said EOFS Word Evaluation Location,which information is “11111111”. In so placing said information at saidLocation, said valve automatically overwrites and obliterates theinformation of the third byte that had been at said Location.Automatically said valve then compares the information at said Location,“11111111”, to the EOFS WORD information at said EOFS Standard WordLocation, “11111111”. A match results, causing said valve to set theinformation of said EOFS WORD Flag to “0”. Automatically said valvedetermines that the information at said Flag is “0”, which causes saidvalve to increase the value of the information at said EOFS WORD Counterfrom “00000001” to “00000010”, a binary number whose decimal equivalentis two. Automatically said valve 4, compares said “00000010” to theinformation at said EOFS Standard Length Location, “00001011”. No matchresults which causes said valve to set the information of said EOFSComplete Flag to “1”. Automatically said valve determines that the valueof said information at said EOFS Complete Flag is “1” which causes saidvalve to complete said word evaluation sequence, in respect to saidfourth byte, without transferring any information of said byte to saidreceiving apparatus. Automatically said valve then informs saidtransferring apparatus that said valve is ready to receive next signalword information which causes said apparatus to transfer to said valvethe next byte of said message.

Receiving said next byte, which is the fifth and last byte, causes saidvalve to place information of said byte at said EOFS Word EvaluationLocation, which information is “00000000”. In so placing saidinformation at said Location, said valve automatically overwrites andobliterates the information of the fourth byte at said Location.Automatically said valve then compares the information at said Location,“00000000”, to the EOFS WORD information at said EOFS Standard WordLocation, “11111111”. No match results which causes said valve to setthe information of said EOFS WORD Flag to “1”. Automatically said valvedetermines that the information at said Flag is “1” which causes saidvalve to execute said transfer-all-word-information instructions.Automatically said valve compares the information at said EOFS WORDCounter, “00000010”, to said zero information, “00000000”, that is amongthe preprogrammed information of said valve. No match results whichcauses said valve to set the information of said EOFS Empty Flag to “1”.Automatically said valve determines that the information at said EOFSEmpty Flag is “1” which causes said valve to execute saidtransfer-counted-information instructions. Said instructions cause saidvalve automatically to transfer one instance of said EOFS WORDinformation at said EOFS Standard Word Location, “11111111”, to saidreceiving apparatus then decrease the value of the information at saidEOFS WORD Counter by a decrement of one—that is, from “00000010” to“00000001”—then compare the information at said EOFS WORD Counter tosaid zero information, “00000000”. Because no match occurs, said valveautomatically transfers one more instance of said EOFS WORD information,“11111111”, to said receiving apparatus then decreases the value of theinformation at said EOFS WORD Counter by an additional decrement ofone—that is, from “00000001” to “00000000”—then compares saidinformation to said zero information, “00000000”. A match occurs. In afashion well known in the art, the fact of said match causes said valveautomatically to continue executing transfer-all-word-informationinstructions. Automatically said valve transfers information of saidfifth byte at said EOFS word evaluation location—which information is“00000000”—to said receiving apparatus; completes said word evaluationsequence, in respect to said fifth and last byte of the message of FIG.2K; and informs said transferring apparatus that said valve is ready toreceive next signal word information which causes said apparatus totransfer to said valve the next byte of said message as soon as saidapparatus receives and is prepared to transfer said byte.

The example of FIG. 2K illustrates how receiving each signal word causesan EOFS valve to evaluate the information content of said word; totransfer words that are not EOFS WORDS; to retain count information ofwords that are EOFS WORDs so long as said words occur in uninterruptedsequences of EOFS WORDs which sequences are shorter than the number ofEOFS WORDs in an instance of end of file signal information; and whenreceiving any given signal word that is not an EOFS WORD interrupts sucha sequence, to transfer information of each retained EOFS WORD beforetransferring information of said given signal word. The example of FIG.2K does not illustrate the detecting of an end of file signal; however,an example of such detecting is provided below.

In this specification, MOVE bits are called “MOVE” bits because MOVE bitinformation in any given signal word causes each EOFS valve thatprocesses the information of said word to “move”—that is, totransfer—information of said word to receiving apparatus external tosaid valve during the word evaluation sequence of said word rather thanretaining said information.

Reasons should now be clear why padding bits are always MOVE bits andwhy, in a SPAM message, a full signal word of padding bits follows asignal word that is the last signal word in which command informationoccurs and that contains no MOVE bits. The command of FIG. 2K is such acommand, and the fourth byte is such a word. In its automatic fashionfor identifying end of file signals, no EOFS valve that receives saidfourth byte transfers said byte until it receives a subsequent signalword that contains a MOVE bit. In the present invention there is noassurance that every EOFS valve immediately receives a next signal wordas soon as it completes the word evaluation sequence, in respect to anygiven signal word. Thus to ensure that all apparatus to which messagesare addressed process message information in the fastest possiblefashion, all messages that do not end with end of file signals do endwith signal words that contain at least one MOVE bit.

One final rule of message composition remains. In order to define end offile signals precisely, a signal word that contains at least one MOVEbit is always transmitted immediately before the uninterrupted sequenceof EOFS WORDs of any given end of file signal. Were a given signal wordthat contained no MOVE bits to be transmitted immediately before theuninterrupted sequence of a given end of file signal, said word wouldcontain only EOFS bits and would be an EOFS WORD. Any EOFS valveprocessing said word and said signal would process said word as one ofthe EOFS WORDs of said uninterrupted sequence. Said valve would countsaid word erroneously as part of said sequence rather than as part ofthe information preceding said sequence and would count at least thelast EOFS WORD of said sequence erroneously as part of the messagefollowing said signal rather than as part of said signal. In order toavoid such erroneous processing, any given instance of the uninterruptedsequence of EOFS WORDs of an end of file signal is preceded by signalword that is not an EOFS WORD.

This final rule may be satisfied in a number of different ways. Forexample, end of file signals could include the signal word precedingsaid uninterrupted sequence. Rather than being an uninterrupted sequenceof eleven EOFS WORDs, an end of file signal could be twelve words longwith the first word containing MOVE bit information. And subscriberstation apparatus could be adapted and preprogrammed for detecting suchsignals.

As related above, in the preferred embodiment, end of file signals arecomposed just of the uninterrupted sequence of EOFS WORDS describedabove, and the signal words that precede said sequences are part of thelast segment information preceding said signals. To prevent erroneousprocessing while satisfying the final rule of message composition, inany given pre-transmission evaluation of an instance of SPAM messageinformation, if the EOFS valve of said evaluation retains informationthe last signal word of said information in the course of the wordevaluation sequence of said word rather than transferring information ofsaid word, the binary information of said instance is rewritten, in afashion well known in the art that may be manual, before being embeddedand transmitted. Said binary information is rewritten to end with afinal signal word that contains MOVE bit information and still causesubstantively the same information processing at subscriber stations.

In this fashion, the signal information of any given end of file signalis distinctive, and EOFS detectors detect end of file signals precisely.

Despite the fact that the use of end of file signals involves timeconsuming processing, the preferred embodiment's system fordistinguishing individual messages from one another in message streamshas significant advantages over alternate techniques.

By comparison with systems that process fixed length and/or fixed formatmessages, the use of end of file signals permits great flexibility.Messages can be of any length and can contain any information thatdigital receiver station apparatus can process.

By comparison with systems that distinguish messages from one another bymeans of distinctive signals that separate the end of each message fromthe beginning of the next, end of file signals are used in the preferredembodiment only with some messages. Many messages, such as the secondand third messages of the message stream of FIG. 2I, do not require endof file signals. Furthermore, as will become more apparent in the courseof this specification, messages that consist of commands alone oftenhave higher priority for processing speed than do the messages thatcontain last segment information. Since only messages that contain lastsegment information require end of file signals, end of file signals areoften transmitted and processed at times when speed of processing is ofrelative unimportance.

Finally, because long cadence signals are processed at ends of messagesrather than at beginnings, the preferred embodiment reduces the relativeimportance of the processing speed associated with such signals evenfurther. In the preferred embodiment, subscriber station apparatus havecapacity for commencing to process received command and informationsegment information before receiving the end of file signal associatedwith said information. The commencement of processing of the command andinformation segment information of any given message need never bedelayed until after an end of file signal, associated with said message,is detected.

The preferred embodiment has the advantage of requiring that longcadence signals that require time consuming processing be transmittedonly with some messages and then only at times when processing speed isof relatively low priority. In so doing, the preferred embodiment makesit possible to transmit in the shortest, simplest formats messages thathave high priority for processing speed and to process said messages thefastest fashion.

The Normal Transmission Location

SPAM signals are generated at original transmission stations orintermediate transmission stations and embedded in television or radioor other programming transmissions by conventional generating andembedding means, well known in the art. Said signals may be embedded intransmissions at said stations immediately prior to transmitting saidtransmissions via conventional broadcast or cablecast means, well knownin the art. Alternatively, said signals may be embedded in transmissionsthat are then recorded, in a fashion well known in the art, on anappropriate conventional video, audio or other record media. Playingback said media on appropriate player apparatus will cause saidapparatus to retransmit said transmissions with said SPAM signalsembedded precisely as they were embedded when said transmissions wererecorded.

SPAM signals can be embedded in many different locations in electronictransmissions. In television, SPAM signals can be embedded in the videoportion or in the audio portion of the transmission. In the videoportion, SPAM signals can be embedded in each frame on one line such asline 20 of the vertical interval, or on a portion of one line, or onmore than one line, and they will probably lie outside the range of thetelevision picture displayed on a normally tuned television set. SPAMsignals can be embedded in radio audio transmissions. In the audio oftelevision and radio transmissions, SPAM signals will probably beembedded in a portion of the audio range that is not normally renderedin a form audible to the human ear. In television audio, they are likelyto lie between eight and fifteen kilohertz. In broadcast print and datacommunications transmissions, SPAM signals can accompany conventionalprint or data programming in the conventional transmission stream.

In television, the normal transmission location of the preferredembodiment is in the vertical interval of each frame of the televisionvideo transmission. Said location begins at the first detectable part ofline 20 of the vertical interval and continues to the last detectablepart of the last line of the vertical interval that is not visible on anormally tuned television set.

In radio, the preferred normal transmission location is in the audioabove the range of the radio transmission that is normally audible tothe human ear.

In broadcast print or data communications, the preferred normaltransmission location for SPAM signals is in the same location as theconventional information. More precisely, conventional print of datainformation is transmitted in SPAM transmissions. Any given instance ofconventional print or data information is transmitted in a SPAMinformation segment that is preceded by a “01” header SPAM command or a“11” header, which command or header addresses conventional print ordata processing apparatus at subscriber stations and causes saidapparatus to process said conventional information in the conventionalfashion. In said transmissions, other SPAM commands and informationaddress and control subscriber station apparatus in other SPAMfunctioning.

(Hereinafter, the preferred normal location for transmitting signals inany given communication medium is called, the “normal transmissionlocation”.)

In the preferred embodiment, while receiver station decoder apparatusmay be controlled, in fashions described below, to detect informationsegment information outside the normal transmission locations, SPAMcommands and cadence information are always transmitted in normaltransmission locations. In the present invention, the object of manydecoders is to detect only command information such as meter-monitorsegment information. Having one unchanging location for the transmissionof command information in any given television, radio, broadcast print,or data transmission permits decoder apparatus to search just oneunchanging portion of said transmission to detect commands. Having thesame fixed location for cadence information enables said decoderapparatus to distinguish all command information in said transmission.

Operating Signal Processor Systems . . . Introduction

Five examples illustrate methods of operating signal processing systemapparatus. Each focuses on subscriber stations where the signalprocessor system of FIG. 2D and the combined medium apparatus of FIG. 1share apparatus and operate in common.

FIG. 3 shows one such subscriber station. In FIG. 3, the decoder, 203,of FIG. 1 is also an external decoder of the signal processor system ofsignal processor, 200. Like decoders, 27, 28, and 29, in FIG. 2D,decoder, 203, has capacity for transferring SPAM information tobuffer/comparator, 8, of signal processor, 200, and tobuffer/comparator, 14. In addition, signal processor, 200, has capacityfor transferring SPAM signals from a particular jack port of controller,12, to microcomputer, 205.

FIG. 3 also shows SPAM-controller, 205C, to which signals that areaddressed to URS microcomputers, 205, are transferred from decoder, 203,and from signal processor, 200. SPAM-controller, 205C, is a control unitlike controller, 39, of decoder, 203, with buffer capacity for receivingmultiple inputs; RAM and ROM for holding operating instructions andother information; EOFS valve capacity for detecting end of file signalsand regulating the flow of SPAM signals; microprocessor capacity forprocessing; capacity for transferring information to and receivinginformation from the central processor unit (hereinafter, “CPU”) ofmicrocomputer, 205; and capacity for transferring information to one ormore input buffers of microcomputer, 205. SPAM-controller, 205C,operates independently of said CPU although said CPU has capacity tointerrupt SPAM-controller, 205C, in an interrupt fashion well known inthe art. SPAM-controller, 205C, also has capacity to control directly tothe aforementioned PC-MicroKey 1300 System without affecting theoperation of said CPU.

All five examples describe signal processing variations that relate tothe FIG. 1C combining of “One Combined Medium.”

The first focuses on the basic operation, in “One Combined Medium,” ofdecoder, 203; SPAM-controller, 205C; and microcomputer, 205. No signalsrequire decryption. No meter information is collected. No monitorinformation is processed. Combined information is displayed at eachsubscriber station.

In the second example, the combining of FIG. 1C occurs only at selectedsubscriber stations. The second combining synch command is partiallyencrypted, and said stations are preprogrammed with particularinformation that is necessary to decrypt said command. At said stations,said command causes its own decryption and the combining of FIG. 1C. Inaddition, said command causes signal processor apparatus at saidstations to retain meter information that a remote billing agency canuse as a basis for charging the subscribers of said stations fordisplaying the combined information of said combining. At all otherstations, no information is decrypted, no combining occurs, and no meterinformation is collected.

In the third example, combined information is displayed at eachsubscriber station just as in the first example. In addition, monitorinformation is processed at selected stations for one or more so-called“ratings” agencies (such as the A. C. Nielsen Company) that collectstatistics on viewership and programming usage.

The fourth example provides a second illustration of restricting thecombining of FIG. 1C to selected subscriber stations through the use ofencryption/decryption techniques and metering. In addition, the fourthexample shows how monitor information is collected at selected ones ofsaid selected stations.

The fifth example adds program unit identification signals identified atdecoders, 30 and 40, of signal processor, 200.

In the last three examples, the first combining synch command causesselected subscriber stations to transfer recorded meter information andmonitor information to one or more remote computer stations of saidbilling agencies and ratings agencies and causes computers at saidremote agencies to receive and process said transferred information.

Each example focuses on the processing of the three signal messages ofthe FIG. 1C combining. The information of said messages include threecombining synch commands and one program instruction set.

The first message is of the information associated with the firstcombining synch command. Said first command has a “01” header, anexecution segment, and a meter-monitor segment of six fields. Saidcommand is followed by an information segment that contains said programinstruction set, and said information segment is followed by an end offile signal. Said first command addresses URS microcomputers, 205, andcauses said computers, 205, to load and run the program instruction settransmitted in the information segment. Each meter-monitor segment fieldof said command contains information that identifies one of thefollowing:

-   -   the origin of said “Wall Street Week” transmission,    -   the subject matter of said “Wall Street Week” program,    -   the program unit of said program,    -   the day of said transmission within a particular one hundred        year period,    -   the supplier of the program instruction set in the information        segment following said first combining synch command, and    -   the format of said meter-monitor segment information.        (Hereinafter, meter-monitor information that identifies the        program unit of a given program may also be called the “program        unit identification code”.)

The second message is of the information associated with the secondcombining synch command. Said second command has a “00” header, anexecution segment, and a meter-monitor segment of five fields andaddresses URS microcomputers, 205. Said second command causes saidcomputers, 205, to combine the FIG. 1A information of eachmicrocomputer, 205, with the information of FIG. 1B and transmit thecombined information to monitors, 202M. Each meter-monitor segment fieldof the second command contains information of one of the following:

-   -   the subject matter of said “Wall Street Week” program,    -   the program unit of said program,    -   the unique code of said overlay given said program unit        information,    -   the minute of said transmission within a particular one month        period, and    -   the format of said meter-monitor segment information.

The third message is of the information associated with the thirdcombining synch command. Said third command has only a “10” header andan execution segment and addresses URS microcomputers, 205. Said commandcauses said computers, 205, to cease combining and transmit only thereceived composite video transmission to monitors, 202M, and to continueprocessing in a predetermined fashion (which fashion may be determinedby the aforementioned program instruction set).

In those examples that focus on encrypted commands, the meter-monitorsegments of each encrypted command includes an additional meter-monitorfield:

-   -   meter instructions.        In said examples, the meter-monitor format field information of        said commands reflects the presence of said additional field.

As described above, said signals are of binary information with errorcorrecting bit information and are embedded, transmitted, and receivedin the normal transmission pattern of the “Wall Street Week” televisiontransmission.

All subscriber station apparatus are fully preprogrammed to performautomatically each step of each example. No manual step is required atany station.

In each example, the apparatus of FIG. 3 are preprogrammed to detectembedded signal information, to transfer said information to addressedapparatus, and to operate under control of said information. Apparatusof decoder, 203, are preprogrammed to detect signal information embeddedin the normal transmission pattern and to correct, convert, and transfersaid information to its addressed apparatus. Apparatus of signalprocessor, 200, are preprogrammed to decrypt information uponinstruction and to transfer information to its addressed apparatus. Forone or more remote services that meter and charge subscribers for theuse of information or that audit such remote metering services,apparatus of signal processor, 200, are preprogrammed to select,process, and record meter information and to transfer recorded meterinformation to one or more remote station computers.

In each example, the EOFS valves located at controller, 39, of decoder,203; at buffer/comparator, 8, of signal processor, 200; and atSPAM-controller, 205C, are preprogrammed to detect end of file signalsthat consist of eleven sequentially transmitted EOFS WORDs. Thus thebinary information of eleven—“00001011”—is at the EOFS Standard LengthLocation of each of said EOFS valves.

In the third, fourth, and fifth examples, appropriate apparatus of FIG.3 are also preprogrammed to assemble, record, and transmit to one ormore remote locations monitor information for one or more services thatsample selected subscriber stations (said stations being preprogrammedfor this purpose) to collect statistical data on programming andinformation usage and/or to audit selectively the customer accounting ofremote meter services.

In each example, receiving SPAM signal information at each apparatus ofFIG. 3 causes subscriber station apparatus automatically to process saidinformation in the preprogrammed fashions of said apparatus.

At the outset of each example, particular meter record information ofprior programming exists at a particular location at buffer/comparator,14, of signal processor, 200. Said record information documents the factthat before receiving the “Wall Street Week” program, tuner, 215,transmitted to monitor, 202M, particular programming that containedembedded SPAM commands and information with particular meterinstructions. Information of said commands and information causedbuffer/comparator, 14, to retain said meter record information. In thethird and subsequent examples, monitor record information of said priorprogramming also exists at a particular location at saidbuffer/comparator, 14, associated with the source mark of decoder, 203.

In each example, the recorder, 16, of signal processor, 200, has reacheda level of fullness where the recording of the next signal recordreceived from the buffer/comparator, 14, of signal processor, 200, willcause the quantity of signal records recorded at recorder, 16, to equalor exceed the particular fullness information of said recorder, 16.Whenever said quantity equals or exceeds said fullness information,recorder, 16, is preprogrammed to commences a particular telephonesignal record transfer sequence that is fully automatic for whichrecorder, 16; controller, 20; auto dialer, 24; and telephone connection,22, are each preprogrammed. Under control of the preprogrammed,instructions of said sequence, signal processor, 200, telephones one ormore remote billing station computers and/or one or more remote monitorinformation collection station computers and transfers selected recordinformation to said computers.

In each example, all receiver station apparatus is on and fullyoperational.

Operating Signal Processor Systems . . . Example #1

The first example elaborates on the FIG. 1C combining described above in“One Combined Medium” and focuses on the operation of decoder, 203,SPAM-controller, 205C, and microcomputer, 205, on the execution ofcontrolled functions, and on the use of cadence information to organizesignal processing. The example begins as divider, 4, starts to transferto decoder, 203, in its outputted composite video transmission, theembedded binary information of the first message. At the outset ofexample #1, controller, 39, of decoder, 203, and SPAM-controller, 205C,have each identified an end of file signal and await header information.

Receiving said embedded binary information at decoder, 203, (which doesnot include a filter, 31, or a demodulator, 32, because its input is acomposite video transmission) causes line receiver, 33, automatically todetect and transfer said embedded information to digital detector, 34,which automatically detects the binary information with correctinginformation in said embedded information and transfers said binaryinformation with correcting information to controller, 39. Using forwarderror correction techniques, well known in the art, and employingparticular correcting information, controller, 39, automatically checkssaid information, as it is received, and corrects it as necessary thendiscards said particular correcting information retaining only thecorrected information. Using conversion protocol techniques, well knownin the art, controller, 39, then automatically converts said correctedinformation into binary information that receiver station apparatus canreceive and process. In this fashion, the binary information of thefirst message—more precisely, the first combining synch command and itsassociated program instruction set and end of file signal—are receivedand converted at decoder, 203.

Once the information of any given point-to-multipoint SPAM transmissionhas been checked, corrected, and converted in the foregoing fashion,subscriber station apparatus communicate said information point-to-pointusing flow control and error correction techniques, well known in theart, that include handshaking and requesting retransmission. Thereafter,any given transmission of SPAM information, so corrected and converted,contains not only bits of communicated SPAM information but alsoso-called “parity bits” that convey error correcting information. Atpresent, the conventional practice is for every ninth bit to be a paritybit that is used, in a fashion well known in the art, to check thecorrectness of the preceding eight bits, or “byte,” of communicateddata.

Frequently in this disclosure, specific quantities of bits and bitlocations are cited. Said bits are often specified as being “sequential”and “in their order after conversion,” and said bit locations are often“contiguous.” Unless otherwise stated, said quantities refer only tobits of communicated SPAM information and bit locations that holdcommunicated SPAM information. No attempt is made to account for thepresence of parity bits among transmitted bits of SPAM information or atparticular memory locations because techniques for distinguishing bitsof communicated data from parity bits and for processing bits ofcommunicated information separately from parity bits are well known inthe art.

Automatically, after said binary information is converted, saidinformation is inputted to the EOFS valve of controller, 39, whichprocesses said information in the fashion described above, comparingeach signal word of said information to EOFS WORD information andtransferring said binary information, signal word by signal word, untilan end of file signal is detected.

Receiving the header and execution segment of said first message causescontroller, 39, to determine that said message is addressed to URSmicrocomputers, 205, and to transfer said message to microcomputer, 205.So transferring said message is the controlled function that theinformation said header and execution segment cause controller, 39, toperform. Automatically, as said EOFS valve transfers converted binaryinformation of said first message, controller, 39, selects and recordsat particular SPAM-header register memory a particular preprogrammedconstant number of the first converted bits of said binary information.Said constant number is the number of bits in a SPAM command header.(Hereinafter, said constant number is called “H”.) From the first bit ofsaid binary information, H bits are selected and recorded, in theirorder after conversion, at said SPAM-header memory. Then, automatically,controller, 39, determines that said information at SPAM-header memory(which is the “01” header of the first combining synch command anddesignates a SPAM command that is followed by an information segment)does not match particular 11-header-invoking information that is “11”.(In other words, the header of said message does not designate a SPAMmessage that consists of a header followed immediately by an informationsegment.) Not resulting in a match causes controller, 39, automaticallyto select a second preprogrammed constant number of next bits and recordsaid bits, in their order after conversion, at particular SPAM-execregister memory. Said second constant number is the particular number ofbits in a SPAM execution segment. (Hereinafter, said second constantnumber is called “X”.) Beginning with the next bit of said binaryinformation immediately after said H bits, controller, 39, selects Xbits and records said bits, in their order after conversion, at saidSPAM-exec memory. Then, automatically, by comparing the information atsaid SPAM-exec memory (which information is the execution segment of thefirst combining synch command) with preprogrammedcontrolled-function-invoking information, controller, 39, determinesthat said information at memory matches particularthis-message-addressed-to-205 information that causes controller, 39, toexecute particular preprogrammed transfer-to-205 instructions. Saidinstructions cause controller, 39, to transfer to SPAM-controller, 205C,the SPAM message associated with the particular information atSPAM-header memory. Automatically, said instructions cause controller,39, to activate the output port that outputs to SPAM-controller, 205C,then compare said information at SPAM-header memory to preprogrammedheader-identification information. Automatically, controller, 39,determines that said information matches particular “01” information.Said match causes controller, 39, automatically to execute particulartransfer-a-01-or-an-11-header-message instructions.

A “01” header distinguishes a message that contains lowest priorityinformation. Any given instance of a message with a “01” header endswith an end of file signal. Accordingly, said instructions causecontroller, 39, to transfer, from the start of said message, allinformation received from said valve until said valve detects andtransfers the information of an end of file signal. Automaticallycontroller, 39, commences transferring said binary information, startingwith said first H bits and transferring said information in its orderafter conversion, signal word by signal word, as said binary informationis outputted by said EOFS valve. In due course, the EOFS valve ofcontroller, 39, receives the last signal word of the information segmentof said first message. To satisfy the final rule of message compositioncited above, said word, being an instance of a final signal wordpreceding an end of file signal, contains MOVE bit information and isnot an EOFS WORD. Said valve transfers said word which causescontroller, 39, to transfer said word to SPAM-controller, 205C. (Whensaid valve receives information of the next signal word after said word,the information of the EOFS WORD Counter of said valve is “00000000”because said word contained MOVE bit information.)

Immediately after embedding and transmitting said last word, theaforementioned program originating studio that is the originaltransmission station of the programming of “One Combined Medium”generates and embeds an end of file signal in said programming andtransmits said signal. More precisely, said studio generates, embeds,and transmits eleven consecutive EOFS WORDs of binary information.

Receiving said first EOFS WORD causes said valve to place information ofsaid WORD at the EOFS Word Evaluation Location of said valve and tocompare the information at said Location to the EOFS WORD at the EOFSStandard Word Location of said valve. A match results, causing saidvalve, in the fashion described above, to increase the value of theinformation at said EOFS WORD Counter by an increment of one from“00000000” to “00000001”. Automatically said valve determines, in thefashion described above, that the “00000001” at said EOFS WORD Counterdoes not match the “00001011” at said EOFS Standard Length Locationwhich causes said valve to cause the apparatus that inputs signal wordsto said valve to transfer to said valve the next signal word of saidmessage.

In this fashion, said valve processes sequentially the inputtedinformation of each of the next ten EOFS WORDs, each time increasing thevalue of the information at said EOFS. WORD Counter by an increment ofone. When, in the course of the word evaluation sequence of the eleventhand last EOFS WORD, said valve so increases said value, the informationat said Counter is “00001011”. Automatically said valve determines thatsaid “00001011” matches the “00001011” at said EOFS Standard LengthLocation which causes said valve to execute the complete-signal-detectedinstructions described above in “Detecting End of File Signals.” Saidinstructions cause said valve to initiate the transmission of theaforementioned EOFS-signal-detected information to the CPU ofcontroller, 39, as an interrupt signal then to wait for a controlinstruction from controller, 39, before processing inputted informationfurther.

Receiving said EOFS-signal-detected information at said CPU causescontroller, 39, to determine, in a predetermined fashion, that said endof file signal is part of a SPAM message being transferred under controlof instructions invoked by transfer-to-addressed-apparatus information.Said determining causes controller, 39, automatically to transmit theaforementioned transmit-and-wait instruction to said valve which causessaid valve to transfer one complete end of file signal (which signal isautomatically transferred by controller, 39, to SPAM-controller, 205C).Automatically, said valve outputs, sequentially, the binary informationof eleven instances of an EOFS WORD; then sets the information at saidEOFS WORD Counter to “00000000”; initiates transmission of theaforementioned complete-and-waiting information to the CPU ofcontroller, 39, as an interrupt signal; and commences waiting for acontrol instruction from controller, 39, before processing next inputtedinformation. In so doing, controller, 39, transfers an end of filesignal as a part of said first message and ensures that apparatus towhich said message is transferred receive all cadence informationnecessary to process said message.

Having transferred the binary information of said first message,controller, 39, prepares all apparatus of decoder, 203, as required, toreceive the next instance of SPAM message information. Automatically,controller, 39, deactivates all output ports; compares the informationat said SPAM-header register memory to particular preprogrammedcause-retention-of-exec information that is “01” and determines a matchwhich causes controller, 39, to transfer information of said informationat SPAM-exec register memory to particular SPAM-last-01-header-execregister memory (thereby placing information of the execution segment ofthe first combining synch command at said SPAM-last-01-header-execmemory); then causes all apparatus of decoder, 203, to delete frommemory all information of said binary information except information atsaid SPAM-last-01-header-exec memory. Then, after receiving saidcomplete-and-waiting information, controller, 39, transmits particularreopen-flow instructions that cause said EOFS valve to recommenceprocessing and transferring inputted signal words in its preprogrammedfashion, and controller, 39, commences waiting to receive from saidvalve the binary information of a subsequent SPAM header.

(If said information at SPAM-exec memory had failed to match anycontrolled-function-invoking information at the aforementionedcomparing, said failure to match would have signified that thesubscriber station of FIG. 3 did not have capacity to execute thecontrolled function of said command. Whenever comparing executionsegment information of any given command to preprogrammedcontrolled-function-invoking information at any given subscriber stationSPAM apparatus results in a failure to match, said failure to matchcauses said apparatus to discard all received information of the messageof said execution segment. In the case of a “01” header message such assaid first message, said apparatus discards all received information,except information at register memory, until the EOFS valve of saidapparatus, operating in the aforementioned fashion, transfers saidEOFS-signal-detected information to the CPU of said apparatus. Saidapparatus discards said information, in a fashion described more fullybelow, by placing each successively received signal word at a particularmemory location, and in so doing, overwriting and obliterating theinformation of the prior signal word. Then receiving saidEOFS-signal-detected information causes said apparatus to transmit theaforementioned discard-and-wait instruction to said valve causing saidvalve, in its preprogrammed discard-and-wait fashion, to discard allinformation of the end of file signal of said message, set theinformation of the EOFS WORD Counter of said valve to “00000000”, thentransmit said complete-and-waiting information to said apparatus. Saidcomplete-and-waiting information causes said apparatus to perform allfunctions performed by controller, 39, in the foregoing paragraph.)

At SPAM-controller, 205C, of the subscriber station of FIG. 3 (and atSPAM-controllers, 205C, of URS microcomputers, 205, at other subscriberstations), receiving said transferred binary information of the firstmessage causes all apparatus automatically to process the information ofsaid message in the preprogrammed fashions of said apparatus.

Automatically the EOFS valve of SPAM-controller, 205C, commencesprocessing and transferring said information until an end of file signalis detected.

Receiving the header and execution segment of said first message causesSPAM-controller, 205C, to determine the controlled function or functionsthat said message instructs URS microcomputers, 205, to perform and toexecute the instructions of said functions. Automatically, as said valvetransfers information, SPAM-controller, 205C, selects the first Hconverted bits of said information and records said bits at particularSPAM-header-@205 register memory, then determines that said informationat SPAM-header-@205 memory (which is the “01” header of the firstmessage) does not match particular 11-header-invoking-@205 informationthat is “11”. Not resulting in a match causes controller, 39,automatically to select the next X bits of said transferred binaryinformation and record said bits at particular SPAM-exec-@205 registermemory. Automatically SPAM-controller, 205C, compares the information atsaid SPAM-exec-@205 memory (which information is the execution segmentof the first combining synch command) with preprogrammedcontrolled-function-invoking-@205 information. Said comparing results ina match with particular execute-at-205 information that causesSPAM-controller, 205C, to invoke particular preprogrammedload-run-and-code instructions that control the loading of particularbinary information at the main RAM of microcomputer, 205; the running ofthe information so loaded; and the placing of particular identificationcode information at particular SPAM-controller memory. Said binaryinformation that is loaded and run is the information that begins at thefirst bit of the information segment that follows said X bits, continuesthrough the last bit of said segment, and is, in the “One CombinedMedium” application, the information of said program instruction set.Automatically, SPAM-controller, 205C, executes said load-run-and-codeinstructions.

(No change takes place between controller, 39, and SPAM-controller,205C, in the information of the execution segment of the first combiningsynch command. Thus the binary image of the particularcontrolled-function-invoking information that said information matchesat controller, 39—more precisely, the aforementioned particularthis-message-addressed-to-205 information—is identical to the binaryimage of the particular controlled-function-invoking-@205 informationthat said information matches at SPAM-controller, 205C—said particularexecute-at-205 information. While said this-message-addressed-to-205information and said execute-at-205 information are identical in image,they bear different names in this specification because they invokedifferent controlled functions. This is but one of many instances inthis specification where a given SPAM command invokes differentcontrolled functions at different apparatus because the apparatus arepreprogrammed differently.)

To load and run said information, SPAM-controller, 205C, must locate theposition, in said transferred binary information, of said first bit andsaid last bit. Under control of said load-run-and-code instructions,SPAM-controller, 205C, compares the information at said SPAM-header-@205memory with particular preprogrammed header-identification-@205information and determines that said information at memory matchesparticular “01” information. In other words, to locate said first bit,SPAM-controller, 205C, must process the command information of an “01”header message including the length token of a meter-monitor segment.

Under control of said load-run-and-code instructions, said match causesSPAM-controller, 205C, automatically to execute particular preprogrammedprocess-length-token-@205 instructions. Automatically, said instructionscause SPAM-controller, 205C, to select a third preprogrammed constantnumber of next bits and record said bits at particular memory. Saidthird constant number is the particular number of bits in an instance ofSPAM meter-monitor format field length token information. (Hereinafter,said third constant number is called “L”.) Beginning with the bit ofsaid transferred binary information immediately after the last of said Xbits, SPAM-controller, 205C, selects L bits and records said bits, intheir order after conversion, at particular SPAM-length-info-@205register memory. Automatically SPAM-controller, 205C, compares theinformation at said SPAM-length-info-@205 memory with preprogrammedtoken-comparison-@205 information and determines that said informationat memory matches particular token-comparison-@205 information (whichparticular information is called, hereinafter, “W-token information”).Said match causes SPAM-controller, 205C, to place particularpreprogrammed bit-length-number information at saidSPAM-length-info-@205 memory. (Said particular bit-length-numberinformation is called, hereinafter, “w-bits information”.) Saidinformation is the precise number of bits, following the last of said Lbits, that remain in the meter-monitor segment of the command associatedwith said length token. Said number is not a preprogrammed constantvalue such as H, X, and L that is the same for every SPAM command with ameter-monitor segment. Rather, said number is a variable that may differfrom one SPAM meter-monitor segment to the next. More precisely, it is,for any given meter-monitor segment, a selected one of severalpreprogrammed bit-length-number information alternatives. (Hereinafter,the number of the particular selected bit-length-number alternativeassociated with any given length token is called “MMS-L” to signify thatsaid number is L bits less than the number bits in the meter-monitorsegment in which said length token occurs.)

Having executed said process-length-token-@205 instructions andcontinuing under control of said load-run-and-code instructions,automatically SPAM-controller, 205C, adds L to the information (ofMMS-L) at said SPAM-length-info-@205 memory and, in so doing, determinesthe exact number of bits in the meter-monitor segment of said command(which is also the exact number of bits from the first bit after thelast of said X bits to the last bit of said command). (Hereinafter, theexact number of bits in any given meter-monitor segment is called,“MMS”.) Then SPAM-controller, 205C, causes information of the first MMSbits of said transferred binary information that begin immediately afterthe last of said X bits to be stored at particular MMS-memory ofSPAM-controller, 205C. In so doing, SPAM-controller, 205C, retainsinformation of the meter-monitor segment of said first message. Then,automatically, SPAM-controller, 205C, executes particular preprogrammedinstructions, including assess-padding-bit-@205 instructions, that aredescribed more fully elsewhere in this specification and that cause saidSPAM-controller, 205C, to identify the particular signal word,associated with the command information of said first message, that isthe last signal word before the first signal word of the informationsegment of said message.

Then SPAM-controller, 205C, commences loading information at the mainRAM of microcomputer, 205. Automatically, under control of saidload-run-and-code instructions, SPAM-controller, 205C, instructsmicrocomputer, 205, to commence receiving information fromSPAM-controller, 205C, and loading said information at particular mainRAM, in a fashion well known in the art. Automatically SPAM-controller,205C, commences transferring information to microcomputer, 205,beginning with said selected signal word. Automatically, asmicrocomputer, 205, receives said information, microcomputer, 205, loadssaid information at particular main RAM.

In due course, the EOFS valve of SPAM-controller, 205C, receives theaforementioned last signal word of the information segment of said firstmessage, which is the last signal word of said program instruction set,and transfers said word which causes SPAM-controller, 205C, to transfersaid word to microcomputer, 205, and microcomputer, 205, to load saidword at said RAM. (After transferring said word, the information of theEOFS WORD Counter of said valve is “00000000”.)

Then said valve commences receiving information of the eleven EOFS WORDssequentially outputted by the EOFS valve of controller, 39, whichinformation constitutes the end of file signal in said transferredbinary information. Receiving the first EOFS WORD of said eleven causesthe EOFS valve of SPAM-controller, 205C, to commence retaininginformation of said WORD in the fashion described above. Said retainingcauses SPAM-controller, 205C, to stop transferring information tomicrocomputer, 205, and microcomputer, 205, to stop loading informationat said RAM. As said valve receives all said EOFS WORD information, saidvalve detects said end of file signal just as the EOFS valve ofcontroller, 39, detected the end of file signal in the binaryinformation inputted to said valve. When, in the course of the wordevaluation sequence of the eleventh and last EOFS WORD in saidinformation, the EOFS valve of SPAM-controller, 205C, determines thatthe information at the EOFS WORD Counter of said valve matches theinformation at the EOFS Standard Length Location of said valve, saidvalve initiates the transmission of the aforementionedEOFS-signal-detected information to the CPU of SPAM-controller, 205C, asan interrupt signal and commences waiting for a control instruction fromsaid CPU.

Receiving said EOFS-signal-detected information at said CPU while undercontrol of said load-run-and-code instructions causes SPAM-controller,205C, to cease loading and execute the remainder of saidload-run-and-code instructions. Automatically SPAM-controller, 205C,causes microcomputer, 205, to cease loading information at said RAM andexecute the information so loaded as so-called “machine executable code”of one so-called “job.” Because information of said end of file signalis no longer needed, said instructions cause SPAM-controller, 205C, totransmit the aforementioned discard-and-wait instruction to said valve.Said instruction causes said valve to set the information at said EOFSWORD Counter to “00000000” without transferring any information of saiddetected end of file signal; to initiate transmission of theaforementioned complete-and-waiting information to the CPU ofSPAM-controller, 205C, as an interrupt signal; and to wait for a controlinstruction from SPAM-controller, 205C, before processing next inputtedinformation.

Then SPAM-controller, 205C, commences executing the code portion of saidload-run-and-code instructions. The instructions of said portion causeSPAM-controller, 205C, to compare the information at said SPAM-headermemory to particular load-run-and-code-header information that is “01”.A match results (which indicates that said first message containsmeter-monitor information). Said match causes SPAM-controller, 205C, toexecute particular preprogrammed evaluate-meter-monitor-formatinstructions and locate-program-unit instructions. Under control of saidinstructions and in a fashion that is described more fully below,SPAM-controller, 205C, locates the “program unit identification code”information in the information of the meter-monitor segment stored atsaid MMS-memory. Then said code portion instructions causeSPAM-controller, 205C, to place said code information at particularSPAM-first-precondition register memory. In so doing, SPAM-controllercompletes said load-run-and-code instructions and completes thecontrolled functions executed by the execution segment information ofsaid first message.

Having completed said controlled functions, automaticallySPAM-controller, 205C, prepares to receive the next instance of SPAMmessage information. Automatically, SPAM-controller, 205C, compares theinformation at said SPAM-header-@205 register memory to particularpreprogrammed cause-retention-of-exec-@205 information that is “01” anddetermines a match which causes SPAM-controller, 205C, to transferinformation of said information at SPAM-exec-@205 register memory toparticular SPAM-last-01-header-exec-@205 register memory. ThenSPAM-controller, 205C, causes all apparatus of SPAM-controller, 205C, todelete from memory all information of said transferred binaryinformation except information at said SPAM-first-precondition andSPAM-last-01-header-exec-@205 memories. Finally, after receiving saidcomplete-and-waiting information, SPAM-controller, 205C, transmitsparticular instructions that cause said EOFS valve to commenceprocessing and transferring inputted signal words, in its preprogrammeddetecting fashion, and SPAM-controller, 205C, commences waiting toreceive from said valve the binary information of a subsequent SPAMheader.

As described in “One Combined Medium” above, loading and running saidprogram instruction set causes microcomputer, 205, (and URSmicrocomputers, 205, at other subscriber stations) to place appropriateFIG. 1A image information at particular video RAM. In addition, runningsaid set also causes microcomputer, 205, after completing placing saidimage information at said RAM, to transfer particularnumber-of-overlay-completed information and instructions toSPAM-controller, 205C. Said information and instructions causeSPAM-controller, 205C, to place the number “00000001” at particularSPAM-second-precondition register memory at SPAM-controller, 205C,signifying that said image information represents the first overlay ofits associated video program.

(Had said information at SPAM-exec-@205 memory failed to match anyexecute-at-205 information at the aforementioned comparing,SPAM-controller, 205C, would have discarded discard all receivedinformation of the message of said information at SPAM-exec-@205 in thefashion described above.)

Operating S. P. Systems . . . Example #1 (Second Message)

Subsequently, the embedded information of the second message, whichconveys the second combining synch command, is transferred from divider,4, to decoder, 203.

In the same fashion that applied to the first message, receiving saidembedded information causes the apparatus of decoder, 203, to detect,check, correct as necessary, and convert said information, into binaryinformation of said second message. Automatically the EOFS valve ofcontroller, 39, processes and transfers said information, signal word bysignal word.

As with the first message, receiving the header and execution segment ofsaid second message causes controller, 39, to determine that saidmessage is addressed to URS microcomputers, 205, and to transfer saidsecond message accordingly. Automatically, as said valve transfers saidbinary information, controller, 39, selects the first H converted bitsand records said bits, in their order after conversion, at saidSPAM-header register memory. Automatically controller, 39, determinesthat the information at said memory (which is the “00” header of thesecond combining synch command and signifies a SPAM command with ameter-monitor segment but no information segment) does not match said11-header-invoking information that is “11”. Not resulting in a matchcauses controller, 39, automatically to select the next X bits of saidbinary information immediately after said H bits, the execution segmentof the second combining synch command, and record said X bits, in theirorder after conversion, at said SPAM-exec register memory. Then,automatically, by comparing the information at said SPAM-exec memorywith said controlled-function-invoking information, controller, 39,determines that said information at memory matches particularpreprogrammed this-message-addressed-to-205 information that invokessaid transfer-to-205 instructions. Automatically, controller, 39,executes said instructions; activates the output port that outputs toSPAM-controller, 205C; compares said information at SPAM-header memoryto header-identification information; and determines that saidinformation matches particular “00” information. (In other words, theheader of said second message is “00”.) Said match causes controller,39, automatically to invoke particular preprogrammedtransfer-a-00-header-message instructions.

A “00” header distinguishes a message that contains intermediatepriority information but no lowest priority information. To identify thelength and last bit of a “00” header message, controller, 39, mustprocess length token information and may need to execute theaforementioned assess-padding-bit instructions to determine whether afull signal word of padding follows the last signal word in whichcommand information occurs.

Automatically, said transfer-a-00-header-message instructions causecontroller, 39, to execute particular preprogrammed process-length-tokeninstructions. Said instructions cause controller, 39, to select thefirst L bits of said binary information immediately after the last ofsaid X bits and record said selected bits, in their order afterconversion, at particular SPAM-length-info register memory. Said L bitsare the bits of the length token of said “00” header message.Automatically controller, 39, compares the information at saidSPAM-length-info memory to preprogrammed token-comparison informationand determines that said information at memory matches particularX-token information. (Said X-token information is differenttoken-comparison information from the W-token information matched by thelength-token of the first message of example #1.) Said match causescontroller, 39, automatically to select particular preprogrammed x-bitsinformation that is bit-length-number information associated on a one toone basis with said X-token information and to place said x-bitsinformation at said SPAM-length-info memory. The numeric value of saidx-bits information is the MMS-L, the precise number of bits, after thelast of said L bits, that remain in the meter-monitor segment associatedwith said L bits.

Then said transfer-a-00-header-message instructions cause controller,39, to execute particular preprogrammeddetermine-command-information-word-length instructions. Saidinstructions cause controller, 39, to add a particular preprogrammedconstant number that is the sum of H plus X plus L to the x-bitsinformation at said SPAM-length-info memory. (Hereinafter, said constantis called “H+X+L”.) In so doing, controller, 39, determines the numberof bits in the command information of said “00” header message. Thencontroller, 39, divides the numeric information at said memory by thenumber of bits in one signal word and stores the quotient of saiddividing at said SPAM-length-info memory. By determining said quotient,controller, 39, determines the number of signal words in said commandinformation. (Said quotient may be an integer or a so-called “floatingpoint number” that is a whole number plus a decimal fraction.)

Having determined said number of signal words, controller, 39, candetermine whether or not the possibility exists that an instance of theaforementioned full signal word of padding bits follows the last signalword of said number of signal words. If said command information fills awhole number of signal words plus a decimal fraction, the last signalword in which command information occurs is not completely filled bycommand information bits. Padding bits that are MOVE bits fill out saidsignal word, and no possibility exists that a full signal word ofpadding bits follows said signal word. On the other hand, if saidcommand information fills a whole number of signal words exactly, thelast signal word in which command information occurs is completelyfilled by command information bits. The possibility exists that saidsignal word may contain no MOVE bit information and that a full signalword of padding bits may follow said signal word.

To determine whether said possibility exists, saidtransfer-a-00-header-message instructions cause controller, 39, toexecute particular preprogrammed evaluate-end-condition instructions. Ina fashion well known in the art, said instructions cause controller, 39,to identify the largest integer that is less than or equal to theinformation at said SPAM-length-info memory and place information ofsaid integer at particular working register memory. Then controller, 39,compares the information at said working memory to the information atsaid SPAM-length-info memory. (For the information of said largestinteger to equal the information of said quotient means that saidquotient is an integer, that said command information fills a wholenumber of signal words exactly, and that the possibility exists that afull signal word of padding bits does follow the last signal word inwhich command information occurs.) If the information at said workingmemory is equal to the information at said SPAM-length-info memory, saidinstructions cause controller, 39, to place “0” information atparticular SPAM-Flag-working register memory. Otherwise saidinstructions cause controller, 39, to place “1” information at saidmemory.

Then said transfer-a-00-header-message instructions cause controller,39, to execute particular preprogrammedcalculate-number-of-words-to-transfer instructions. Automatically,controller, 39, compares the information at said SPAM-Flag-workingmemory to particular end-condition-comparison information that is “0”.(If the information at said SPAM-Flag-working memory is “0”, saidcommand information fills a whole number of signal words exactly; saidwhole number is the integer information at said working memory; but thelast signal word of command information must be evaluated to ascertainwhether it contains MOVE bit information.) Under control of saidinstructions, resulting in a match with said “0” information causescontroller, 39, to subtract one (1) from the numeric value of theinteger information at said working memory. (On the other hand, if theinformation at said SPAM-Flag-working memory is “1”, said commandinformation only partially fills the last of a whole number of signalwords exactly; MOVE bits fill the remainder of the last of said words;and said whole number is one greater than said largest integerinformation that is at said working memory.) Under control of saidinstructions, not resulting in a match with said “0” information causescontroller, 39, to add one to the numeric value of the integerinformation at said working memory.

Next said transfer-a-00-header-message instructions cause controller,39, to execute particular preprogrammed commence-transfer instructions.Said instructions cause controller, 39, to transfer a particular numberof signal words of said command information, starting with the signalword in which the first of said first H bits occurs and transferringsaid information in its order after conversion, signal word by signalword. Said number is the numeric value of the integer information atsaid working memory.

Finally, said transfer-a-00-header-message instructions causecontroller, 39, to execute particular preprogrammedevaluate-padding-bits-? instructions that cause controller, 39, tocompare the information at said SPAM-Flag-working memory to particularcontinue-? information that is Not resulting in a match means that,under control of said commence-transfer instructions, controller, 39,has transferred all command information of said “00” header message andno possibility exists that a full signal ward of padding bits ends saidmessage. Accordingly, not resulting in a match causes controller, 39, tocomplete said transfer-a-00-header-message instructions.

On the other hand, resulting in a match means that controller, 39, hastransferred all but the last signal word of command information, andsaid word must be evaluated to ascertain whether it contains MOVE bitinformation. Accordingly, resulting in a match causes controller, 39, toexecute the aforementioned assess-padding-bit instructions. Saidinstructions cause controller, 39, to compare said last word toparticular preprogrammed end?-EOFS-WORD information that is theinformation of one EOFS WORD. If no match results, said word is the lastword of said message. Otherwise, one full signal word of padding bitsfollows said word and ends said message. Accordingly, when said lastword is compared to said EOFS WORD information, not resulting in a matchcauses controller, 39, to transfer just said last signal word, butresulting in a match causes controller, 39, to transfer said last signalword then the signal word, in said binary information, that isimmediately after said signal word. In so doing, controller, 39,transfers the complete binary information of the message of the instanceof header information at said SPAM-header memory and completes saidtransfer-a-00-header-message instructions.

Two specific cases illustrate the operation of saidtransfer-a-00-header-message instructions. One focuses on the “00”header message of FIG. 2H. The other focuses on the message of FIG. 2K.In either case, the signal words are eight-bit bytes, H equals two, Xequals six, L equals two, and H+X+L equals ten. In both cases,controller, 39, is preprogrammed with token-comparison information,including particular 01-token information that is “01” and isassociated, on a one to one basis, with particular preprogrammed01011-bits information that is the binary representation of eleven andparticular 11-token information that is “11” and is associated, on a oneto one basis, with particular preprogrammed 10110-bits information thatis the binary representation of twenty-two. In both cases, when saidinstructions are invoked, information of the first H (that is, the firsttwo) bits of the message being processed has been recorded atSPAM-header memory and information of the next X (that is the next six,the third through the eight bits) has been recorded at SPAM-exec memory.Thus said instructions process binary information that commences at thebit that is located immediately after the eighth bit of said messagewhich eighth bit is the last of said X bits.

FIG. 2H shows one instance of a message that contains commandinformation that fills a whole number of signal words plus a decimalfraction. Said command information fills two bytes plus five bits (thatis, 2.625 bytes). Three padding bits that are MOVE bits have been addedto the third byte of said message to fill out said byte.

When said transfer-a-00-header-message instructions are executed in thecourse of the processing of the message of FIG. 2H, said instructionscause processing to proceed in the following fashion.

Said process-length-token instructions are executed and causecontroller, 39, to select the first two bits of said binary informationimmediately after said eighth bit and record said bits at saidSPAM-length-info memory. Said two bits are “01”, the length-token ofsaid message. (After said bits are recorded at said memory, theinformation at said memory is “0000000000000001”.) Automaticallycontroller, 39, commences comparing the information at saidSPAM-length-info memory to said token-comparison information. In thecourse of said comparing, controller, 39, automatically places atparticular working register memory said 01-token information that is“01”. (After said information is placed at said memory, the informationat said memory is “0000000000000001”.) Automatically, controller, 39,compares the information at said SPAM-length-info memory to theinformation at said working memory, and a match results. Said matchcauses controller, 39, automatically to select said 01011-bitsinformation that is the binary representation of eleven and place saidinformation at said SPAM-length-info memory. (Eleven, which is thenumeric value of said 01011-bits information, is the MMS-L of saidmessage.)

Then automatically said determine-command-information-word-lengthinstructions are executed. Said instructions cause controller, 39, toadd H+X+L, which is the binary representation of ten, to the informationat said SPAM-length-info memory. In so doing, controller, 39, places atsaid SPAM-length-info memory the numeric value of the number of bits inthe command information of said message—twenty-one (which is eleven plusten). Then controller, 39, divides the numeric value information at saidmemory (twenty-one) by the number of bits in one byte (eight) and storesthe quotient of said dividing (which quotient is 2.625 and is stored ina floating point fashion) at said SPAM-length-info memory. In so doing,controller, 39, determines that said command information occupies 2.625bytes.

Next said evaluate-end-condition instructions are executed. Saidinstructions cause controller, 39, to identify the integer two (2) asthe largest integer that is less than or equal to the 2.625 informationthat is at said SPAM-length-info memory and to place binary informationof said integer, two (2), at said working register memory. Automaticallycontroller, 39, compares said two (2) information at working memory tosaid 2.625 information at SPAM-length-info memory. Because theinformation at said working memory is not equal to the information atsaid SPAM-length-info memory, controller, 39, automatically places “1”information at said SPAM-Flag-working register memory.

Then said calculate-number-of-words-to-transfer instructions areexecuted. Automatically, controller, 39, compares the information atsaid SPAM-Flag-working memory to said end-condition-comparisoninformation that is “0”, and no match results. (The fact that theinformation at said SPAM-Flag-working memory is “1”, means that saidcommand information only partially fills the last byte of said message,that MOVE bits fill the remainder of said byte, and that the number ofbytes in said message is one greater than said integer information atsaid working memory.) Not resulting in a match causes controller, 39, toadd one (1) to the numeric value two (2) that is the information at saidworking memory, thereby increasing the numeric value of said informationat working memory to three (3).

Next said commence-transfer instructions are executed. Said instructionscause controller, 39, to transfer three (3) eight-bit bytes (which three(3) is the numeric value of the integer information at said workingmemory) of binary information, starting with the byte in which the firstbit of said message occurs and transferring said information in itsorder after conversion, byte by byte. In so doing, controller, 39,transfers all information of said message to the addressed apparatus ofsaid message.

Finally, said evaluate-padding-bits-? instructions are executed andcause controller, 39, to compare the “1” information at saidSPAM-Flag-working memory to said continue-? information that is “0”, andno match results. Not resulting in a match causes controller, 39, tocomplete said transfer-a-00-header-message instructions.

In this fashion, said transfer-a-00-header-message instructions causecontroller, 39, to transfer the message of FIG. 2H to the addressedapparatus of said message.

By contrast, the second illustrative case of FIG. 2K shows a messagethat contains command information that fills a whole number of signalwords exactly and is followed by a full signal word of padding bits. Thecommand information of said message fills four bytes. The last of saidbytes contains only EOFS bits and is an EOFS WORD. Accordingly said lastbyte is followed by one full byte of padding bits which one byte is thefifth and last byte of said message.

Said transfer-a-00-header-message instructions cause the message of FIG.2K, to be processed in the following fashion.

Said process-length-token instructions cause controller, 39, to selectthe ninth and tenth bits of said binary information and record said bitsat said SPAM-length-info memory. Said two bits are the “11” length-tokenof said message, and after said bits are so recorded, the information atsaid memory is “0000000000000011”. Automatically controller, 39,commences comparing said information at SPAM-length-info memory to saidtoken-comparison information. Automatically controller, 39, places said11-token information that is “11” at said working register memory, afterwhich the information at said memory is “0000000000000011”.Automatically, controller, 39, compares said information atSPAM-length-info memory to said information at said working memory, anda match results. Said match causes controller, 39, automatically toselect said 10110-bits information that is the binary representation oftwenty-two and place said information at said SPAM-length-info memory.(Twenty-two, which is the decimal equivalent value of said 10110-bitsinformation, is the MMS-L of said message.)

Then said determine-command-information-word-length instructions causecontroller, 39, to add H+X+L, which is the binary representation of ten,to the information at said SPAM-length-info memory, making theinformation at said SPAM-length-info memory the binary representation ofthirty-two. Then controller, 39, divides information at said memory(thirty-two) by the number of bits in one byte (eight) and stores thequotient of said dividing (which quotient is 4 and is stored in aninteger fashion) at said SPAM-length-info memory. In so doing,controller, 39, determines that said command information occupies 4bytes exactly.

Next said evaluate-end-condition instructions cause controller, 39, toidentify the integer four (4) as the largest integer that is less thanor equal to the 4 information at said SPAM-length-info memory and toplace binary information of said integer, four (4), at said workingregister memory. Automatically controller, 39, determines that said four(4) information at working memory matches said 4 information atSPAM-length-info memory. Said match causes controller, 39, automaticallyto place “0” information at said SPAM-Flag-working register memory.

Then said calculate-number-of-words-to-transfer instructions causecontroller, 39, to determine that the information at saidSPAM-Flag-working memory matches said end-condition-comparisoninformation that is “0”. Said match causes controller, 39, to subtractone (1) from the numeric value, four (4), that is the information atsaid working memory, thereby decreasing the numeric value of saidinformation at working memory to three (3).

Next said commence-transfer instructions cause controller, 39, totransfer three (3) eight-bit bytes (which three (3) is the numeric valueof the integer information at said working memory) of binaryinformation, starting with the byte in which the first bit of saidmessage occurs and transferring said information in its order afterconversion, byte by byte. In so doing, controller, 39, transfers all butthe last byte of command information. Controller, 39, transfers thefirst, second, and third bytes. But the fourth byte, which is said lastbyte, remains untransferred.

Finally, said evaluate-padding-bits-? instructions cause controller, 39,to determine that the “0” information at said SPAM-Flag-working memorymatches said continue-? information that is “0”. Resulting in a matchcauses controller, 39, to execute said assess-padding-bit instructions.Said instructions cause controller, 39, to compare said last byte tosaid end-? EOFS WORD information. Because the fourth byte of the messageof FIG. 2K is an EOFS WORD, a match results. Said match means that afull byte of padding bits follows said last byte of command information.Said match causes controller, 39, to transfer two bytes of binaryinformation which bytes are the fourth and fifth bytes of said message(which fifth byte is the last signal word of said message). Then saidinstructions cause controller, 39, to complete saidtransfer-a-00-header-message instructions.

In this fashion, said transfer-a-00-header-message instructions causecontroller, 39, to transfer the message of FIG. 2K to the addressedapparatus of said message.

In applicable fashions of said transfer-a-00-header-messageinstructions, controller, 39, transfers to SPAM-controller, 205C, thecomplete binary information of the message that contains the secondcombining synch command.

When controller, 39, completes said transfer-a-00-header-messageinstructions, automatically controller, 39, prepares all apparatus ofdecoder, 203, to receive a next SPAM message. Controller, 39,deactivates all output ports; determines that the information at saidSPAM-header register memory does not match said cause-retention-of-execinformation that is “11”; causes all apparatus of decoder, 203, todelete from memory all information of said binary information; thencommences to wait for the binary information of a subsequent SPAMheader.

At SPAM-controller, 205C, (and at the SPAM-controllers, 205C, of otherURS microcomputers, 205), receiving the transferred binary informationof said second message causes all apparatus automatically to process theinformation of said message in their preprogrammed fashions.

Automatically the EOFS valve of SPAM-controller, 205C, processes saidinformation and transfers said information, signal word by signal word.

Receiving the header and execution segment of said second message causesSPAM-controller, 205C, to determine the controlled function or functionsthat said message instructs URS microcomputers, 205, to perform and toexecute the instructions of said functions. Automatically, as said valvetransfers information, SPAM-controller, 205C, selects the H firstconverted bits of said information, records said bits at saidSPAM-header-@205 register memory, and determines that the information atsaid memory (which is the “00” header of said second message) does notmatch said 11-header-invoking-@205 information. No match results whichcauses controller, 1539, automatically to select the next X bits of saidtransferred binary information and record said bits at particularSPAM-exec-@205 register memory. Automatically SPAM-controller, 205C,compares the information at said SPAM-exec-@205 memory with saidcontrolled-function-invoking-@205 information. Said comparing results ina match with particular execute-conditional-overlay-at-205 informationthat causes SPAM-controller, 205C, to execute particular preprogrammedconditional-overlay-at-205 instructions.

Said instructions cause SPAM-controller, 205C, to execute “GRAPHICS ON”at the PC-MicroKey System of microcomputer, 205, if particular specifiedconditions are satisfied. To satisfy said conditions, the instance ofimage information at the video RAM of microcomputer, 205, (FIG. 1A) mustbe relevant to particular broadcast video programming transmittedimmediately after the instance of broadcast programming in which saidsecond message is embedded (FIG. 1B). More precisely, particular programunit and overlay number information specified for each instance mustmatch. In the meter-monitor segment of the second combining synchcommand, said command conveys specified unit and number information forsaid instance of broadcast programming. If, in a fashion describedbelow, said specified information matches particular other unit andnumber information, said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions causeSPAM-controller, 205C, so to execute “GRAPHICS ON”. Accordingly, saidsecond command is one example of a specified condition command.

In order to determine whether said specified information matches saidother information, SPAM-controller, 205C, must locate said specifiedinformation. More precisely, SPAM-controller, 205C, must locate twoparticular information fields of the meter-monitor segment of saidsecond command. One is the program unit field whose informationidentifies uniquely the program unit of said “Wall Street Week” program.The other is the overlay number field whose information identifiesuniquely the particular one of the overlays of said program that saidcommand specifies and causes to be overlayed.

To locate said information, said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructionscause SPAM-controller, 205C, to execute the aforementionedevaluate-meter-monitor-format instructions. (Because saidconditional-overlay-at-205 instructions are executed only by SPAMcommands with “00” headers, comparing information at saidSPAM-header-@205 memory with header-identification-@205 information isunnecessary.) Said evaluate-meter-monitor-format instructions causeSPAM-controller, 205C, to select particular bits at particularpredetermined locations in said transferred binary information andrecord said bits at particular SPAM-format register memory. Said bitsare the bits of the meter-monitor format field of said command. Then,automatically, by comparing the information at said SPAM-format memorywith preprogrammed format-specification information, SPAM-controller,205C, determines that said information at memory matches particularinformation that invokes particular process-this-specific-formatinstructions. Automatically SPAM-controller, 205C, executes saidinstructions, and said instructions cause one particular offset-addressnumber to be placed at particular SPAM-mm-format-@205 register memory atSPAM-controller, 205C. Said number specifies the address/location at theRAM of SPAM-controller, 205C, of the first bit of information thatidentifies the specific format of the meter-monitor segment of saidsecond command.

Then said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions cause SPAM-controller,205C, to execute the aforementioned locate-program-unit instructions.Making reference to the information at said SPAM-mm-format memory, saidinstructions cause SPAM-controller, 205C, to selects two particularpreprogrammed binary numbers located at said RAM at two particularpredetermined program-unit distances from said address/location andplaces said numbers, respectively, at the aforementioned first- andsecond-working register memories. Said numbers are respectively (1) thebit distance from the first bit of said transferred binary informationto the first bit of said program unit field and (2) the bit length ofsaid program field. Automatically SPAM-controller, 205C, selectsparticular information that begins at a bit distance after the first bitof said binary information, which bit distance is equal to theinformation at said first-working memory, and that is of a bit lengthequal to the information at said second-working memory. SPAM-controller,205C, places said selected information at said first-working memory(thereby overwriting and obliterating the information previously there).In so doing, SPAM-controller, 205C, selects from the bits of saidtransferred binary information and records at said first-working memorythe information of said program unit field.

Then said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions cause SPAM-controller,205C, to compare the information at said first-working memory, which isthe unique “program unit identification code” that identifies theprogram unit of said “Wall Street Week” program, to the information atthe aforementioned SPAM-first-precondition register memory, which is thesame unique code (having been transmitted to SPAM-controller, 205C, inthe program unit field of the meter-monitor segment of the firstcombining synch command and so selected and recorded at said registermemory under control of said evaluate-meter-monitor-format instructionsand said locate-program-unit instructions when said instructions wereexecuted by said load-run-and-code instructions in the course of theprocessing of said first message). A match results (which indicates thatSPAM-controller, 205C, executed said load-run-and-code instructionsunder control of said first message.)

(At any subscriber station where information at first-working registermemory fails to match information at SPAM-first-precondition registermemory [indicating that the SPAM-controller, 205C, had not executed saidinstructions], said failing to match causes the SPAM-controller, 205C,of said station to execute particular preprogrammed instructions thatcause the microcomputer, 205, of said station to clear all SPAMinformation from main and video RAMs and commence waiting for subsequentcontrol instructions. Then the preprogrammed instructions of saidSPAM-controller, 205C, cause SPAM-controller, 205C, to discard allinformation of transferred binary information of said second message andcommence waiting for the binary information of a subsequent SPAMheader.)

At the subscriber station of FIG. 3, said match of information at saidfirst-working memory and information at SPAM-first-precondition memory,causes SPAM-controller, 205C, to continuing executing particularconditional-overlay-at-205 instructions. Said instructions causeSPAM-controller, 205C, to execute particular preprogrammedlocate-overlay-number instructions. Making reference to the informationat said SPAM-mm-format memory, said instructions cause SPAM-controller,205C, to selects two particular preprogrammed binary numbers located atsaid RAM at particular predetermined overlay-number distances from saidaddress/location and places said numbers, respectively, at said first—ansecond-working register memories. Said numbers are respectively (1) thebit distance from the first bit of said transferred binary informationto the first bit of said overlay number field and (2) the bit length ofsaid overlay field. Automatically SPAM-controller, 205C, selectsparticular information that begins at a bit distance after the first bitof said binary information, which bit distance is equal to theinformation at said first-working memory, and that is of a bit lengthequal to the information at said second-working memory. SPAM-controller,205C, places said selected information at said first-working memory(thereby overwriting and obliterating the information previously there).In so doing, SPAM-controller, 205C, selects from the bits of saidtransferred binary information and records at said first-working memorythe information of said overlay number field. (After the information ofsaid overlay field is placed at said memory, the information at saidmemory is “00000001”.)

Then said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions cause SPAM-controller,205C, to compare the information at said first-working memory to the“00000001” information at the aforementioned SPAM-second-preconditionregister memory. A match results (indicating that microcomputer, 205,has completed placing appropriate FIG. 1A image at video RAM).

(At any subscriber station where information at first-working registermemory fails to match information at SPAM-second-precondition memory[indicating that the microcomputer, 205, has failed to complete soplacing information at video RAM], said failing to match causes theSPAM-controller, 205C, of said station to execute particularpreprogrammed instructions that cause said SPAM-controller, 205C, tointerrupt the operation of the CPU of said microcomputer, 205, in aninterrupt fashion well known in the art, and transmit particularrestore-efficiency instructions to said CPU that include information ofthe information at said first-working memory and that cause saidmicrocomputer, 205, in a preprogrammed fashion discussed more fullybelow, to restore efficient operation.)

At the subscriber station of FIG. 3 (and at URS microcomputers, 205, atother subscriber stations where information at first-working memorymatches information at SPAM-second-precondition memory), said matchcauses SPAM-controller, 205C, to continue executing particularconditional-overlay-at-205 instructions at a particular instruction.Said instruction causes SPAM-controller, 205C, to execute “GRAPHICS ON”at said PC-MicroKey System. In so doing, SPAM-controller, 205C,completes said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions and thecontrolled functions of the second combining synch command.

Having completed said controlled functions, automaticallySPAM-controller, 205C, prepares to receive the next instance of SPAMmessage information. Automatically, SPAM-controller, 205C, determinesthat the information at said SPAM-header-@205 register memory does notmatch said cause-retention-of-exec information that is “01”; causes allapparatus of SPAM-controller, 205C, to delete from memory allinformation of said transferred binary information; and commenceswaiting to receive the binary information of a subsequent SPAM header.

In the foregoing fashion and as described in “One Combined Medium”above, said transferred information of the second combining synchcommand causes microcomputer, 205, to combine the programming of FIG. 1Aand of FIG. 1B and transmit said combined programming to monitor, 202M,where FIG. 1C is displayed.

Operating S. P. Systems . . . Example #1 (Third Message)

Subsequently, the embedded information of the third message, whichconveys the third combining synch command, is transferred from divider,4, to decoder, 203.

In the same fashion that applied to the first and second messages,receiving said embedded information causes decoder, 203, automaticallyto detect, check, correct as necessary, convert said information intobinary information of said third message; to process and transfer saidbinary information at the EOFS valve of controller, 39; and then toprocess the header and execution segment information in said binaryinformation at controller, 39.

Receiving said header and execution segment information causescontroller, 39, to determine that said message is addressed to URSmicrocomputers, 205, and to transfer said message accordingly. Receivingthe first H converted bits of said binary information from said valvecauses controller, 39, to select and record said H bits (the “10” headerof the third combining synch command which designates a SPAM commandwith only an execution segment) at said SPAM-header register memory thendetermine that the information at said SPAM-header memory does not matchsaid “11” information. Not resulting in a match causes controller, 39,to process the next X received bits as the execution segment of a SPAMcommand. Receiving the next X bits of said binary information from saidvalve causes controller, 39, to select and record said next X bits (theexecution segment of the third combining synch command) at saidSPAM-exec register memory, compare the information at said SPAM-execmemory to said controlled-function-invoking information, determine thatsaid information at memory matches particular preprogrammedthis-message-addressed-to-205 information that invokes theaforementioned transfer-to-205 instructions, and execute saidinstructions. Automatically controller, 39, activates the output portthat outputs to SPAM-controller, 205C; compares said information atSPAM-header memory to said header-identification information; anddetermines that said information at memory matches particular “10”information. Said match causes controller, 39, automatically to executeparticular preprogrammed transfer-a-10-header-message instructions.

A “10” header distinguishes a message that is constituted only of firstpriority segments. At any given time, any given instance of “10” headermessage command information is of one constant binary length—theaforementioned header+exec constant length. (Hereinafter, said length iscalled “H+X” and is the sum of H plus X.) No length token information isprocessed, but it may be necessary to execute the aforementionedassess-padding-bit instructions to determine whether a full signal wordof padding follows the last signal word in which command informationoccurs.

Said transfer-a-10-header-message instructions transfer a “10” headermessage by executing many of the preprogrammed instructions executed bythe aforementioned transfer-a-00-header-message instructions thatcontrolled the transferring of the “00” header second message of example#1.

Because length token information is not processed, saidtransfer-a-10-header-message instructions do not cause execution of saidprocess-length-token instructions.

Because each instance of “10” header message command information is ofsaid one constant binary length, H+X, said transfer-a-10-header-messageinstructions do not cause execution of saiddetermine-command-information-word-length instructions. Instead, saidtransfer-a-10-header-message instructions include particularpreprogrammed 10-header-word-length information that is described morefully below.

Just as with “00” header messages, the possibility can exist that a fullsignal word of padding bits may follow the last signal word of commandinformation of a “10” header message. If H+X bits of binary informationfill a whole number of signal words plus a decimal fraction, the lastsignal word of command information of any given instance of a “10”header message is not completely filled by command information bits.Padding bits that are MOVE bits fill out said word, and no possibilityexists that a full word of padding bits follows said word. But if H+Xbits fill a whole number of signal words exactly, the last signal wordof command information is completely filled by command information bits.Said word may contain no MOVE bit information, and a full signal word ofpadding bits may follow said word.

Because each instance of “10” header message command information is ofsaid one length, said transfer-a-10-header-message instructions do notcause execution of said evaluate-end-condition instructions to determinewhether said possibility exists. Instead, saidtransfer-a-10-header-message instructions include particularpreprogrammed 10-header-end-condition information. At those times whenH+X bits of binary information fill a whole number of signal wordsexactly, said information is the binary value of zero. At all othertimes, said information is the binary value of one.

Likewise, because each instance of “10” header message commandinformation is of said one length, said transfer-a-10-header-messageinstructions do not cause execution of saidcalculate-number-of-words-to-transfer instructions. Instead, at anygiven time said 10-header-word-length information is preprogrammednumber information that applies to every instance of “10” header messageinformation. At those times when H+X bits of binary information fill aninteger number of signal words exactly and a full signal word of paddingbits may follow the last signal word in which command informationoccurs, said 10-header-word-length information is, itself, and integerthat equals said integer number minus one. In the preferred embodimentwhere signal words are eight-bit bytes said 10-header-word-lengthinformation equals (H+X/8)−1. At those times when H+X bits of binaryinformation do not fill a whole number of signal words exactly and thequotient of H+X divided by the number of bits in a signal word is awhole number plus a decimal fraction, said 10-header-word-lengthinformation equals the smallest integer larger than said quotient.

The first set of preprogrammed instructions that saidtransfer-a-10-header-message instructions and saidtransfer-a-00-header-message instructions have in common are saidcommence-transfer instructions. But before saidtransfer-a-10-header-message instructions can execute saidcommence-transfer instructions, said 10-header-word-length informationand said 10-header-end-condition information must be at particularlocations. Accordingly, when executed said transfer-a-10-header-messageinstructions cause controller, 39, to place information of said10-header-word-length information at the aforementioned particularworking register memory and information of said 10-header-end-conditioninformation at the aforementioned SPAM-Flag-working register memory.

Next said transfer-a-10-header-message instructions cause controller,39, to execute said commence-transfer instructions. Said instructionscause controller, 39, to transfer a particular number of signal words ofsaid command information, starting with the signal word in which thefirst of said first H bits occurs and transferring said information inits order after conversion, signal word by signal word. Said number isthe numeric value of the integer information at said working memory.

Finally, said transfer-a-10-header-message instructions causecontroller, 39, to execute said evaluate-padding-bits-?instructions thatcause controller, 39, to compare the information at saidSPAM-Flag-working memory to said continue-? information that is “0”.

Not resulting in a match means that the last signal word in whichcommand information occurs contains at least one MOVE bit of padding andthat said 10-header-word-length information is the length of everyinstance of a “10” header message. Accordingly, not resulting in a matchcauses controller, 39, to end execution of saidtransfer-a-10-header-message instructions.

On the other hand, resulting in a match means that controller, 39, hastransferred all but the last signal word of command information, andsaid word must be evaluated to ascertain whether it contains MOVE bitinformation. Accordingly, resulting in a match causes controller, 39, toexecute said assess-padding-bit instructions. Said instructions causecontroller, 39, to compare said last word to said end-?-EOFS-WORDinformation. If no match results, said word is the last word of saidmessage. Otherwise, one full signal word of padding bits follows saidword and ends said message. Accordingly, not resulting in a match causescontroller, 39, to transfer just said last signal word, but resulting ina match causes controller, 39, to transfer said last signal word thenthe signal word, in said binary information, that is immediately aftersaid signal word. In so doing, controller, 39, transfers the completebinary information of the message of the instance of header informationat said SPAM-header memory and completes saidtransfer-a-10-header-message instructions.

The case of the “10” message of FIG. 2J illustrates the operation ofsaid transfer-a-10-header-message instructions. As with the “00”messages of FIG. 2H and FIG. 2K, signal words are eight-bit bytes, Hequals two, and X equals six. Hence, H+X equals eight. Accordingly,controller, 39, is preprogrammed with 10-header-word-length informationthat is integer information of (8/8)−1. More precisely, said10-header-word-length information is integer information of zero. Andbecause H+X bits of binary information fill a whole number of signalwords exactly, controller, 39, is preprogrammed with10-header-end-condition information that is the binary value of zero.

Like FIG. 2K, FIG. 2J shows a message that contains command informationthat fills a whole number of signal words exactly. The commandinformation of said message fills one byte, and said byte is the lastbyte of said command information. As FIG. 2J shows, said last bytecontains MOVE bit information. Accordingly said last byte is notfollowed by one full byte of padding bits. The one byte of said messageis the last byte of said command information and the last byte of saidmessage.

Said transfer-a-10-header-message instructions cause the message of FIG.2J, to be processed in the following fashion.

Executing said instructions causes controller, 39, to place informationof said 10-header-word-length information at said particular workingregister memory and information of said 10-header-end-conditioninformation at said SPAM-Flag-working register memory. (After said10-header-end-condition information is placed at said SPAM-Flag-workingmemory, the information at said memory may be “0” or “00000000”.)

Next said commence-transfer instructions cause controller, 39, totransfer zero (0) eight-bit bytes (which zero (0) is the numeric valueof the integer information at said working memory) of binaryinformation. (In other words, controller, 39, transfers no information.)In so doing, controller, 39, transfers all but the last byte of commandinformation. The one byte of said message, which is said last byte,remains untransferred.

Then said evaluate-padding-bits-? instructions cause controller, 39, todetermine that the zero information at said SPAM-Flag-working memorymatches said continue-? information that is “0”. Resulting in a matchcauses controller, 39, to execute said assess-padding-bit instructions.Said instructions cause controller, 39, to compare said last byte tosaid end-?-EOFS-WORD information. Because the one byte of the message ofFIG. 2J contains MOVE bit information, no match results. Not resultingin a match means that said one byte is the last byte of said message.Automatically, not resulting in a match causes controller, 39, totransfer one byte of binary information which byte is said one byte.Then said instructions cause controller, 39, to complete saidtransfer-a-10-header-message instructions.

In this fashion, said transfer-a-10-header-message instructions causecontroller, 39, to transfer the message of FIG. 2J to the addressedapparatus of said message.

In applicable fashions of said transfer-a-10-header-messageinstructions, controller, 39, transfers to SPAM-controller, 205C, thecomplete binary information of the message that contains the thirdcombining synch command. When controller, 39, completes saidtransfer-a-10-header-message instructions, automatically controller, 39,prepares all apparatus of decoder, 203, to receive a next SPAM message.Controller, 39, deactivates all output ports; determines that theinformation at said SPAM-header register memory does not match saidcause-retention-of-exec information that is “01”; causes all apparatusof decoder, 203, to delete from memory all information of said binaryinformation; then commences to wait for the binary information of asubsequent SPAM header.

At SPAM-controller, 205C, (and at the SPAM-controllers, 205C, at otherURS microcomputers, 205), receiving the transferred binary informationof said third message causes all apparatus automatically to process theinformation of said message in their preprogrammed fashions.

Automatically the EOFS valve of SPAM-controller, 205C, processes saidinformation and transfers said information, signal word by signal word.

Receiving the header and execution segment of said third message causesSPAM-controller, 205C, to identify and execute the controlled functionor functions that said message instructs URS microcomputers, 205, toperform. Receiving the first H converted bits of said transferred binaryinformation from said valve causes SPAM-controller, 205C, to select andrecord said H bits at said SPAM-header-@205 register memory; determinethat the information at said memory does not match said11-header-invoking information; then process the next X received bits ofsaid binary information as the execution segment of a SPAM command.Receiving said next X bits causes SPAM-controller, 205C, to select andrecord said X bits at said SPAM-exec-@205 register memory; compare theinformation at said memory with said controlled-function-invoking-@205information; determine that said information at memory matchesparticular cease-overlay information that causes SPAM-controller, 205C,to execute particular preprogrammed cease-overlaying-at-205instructions; and execute said instructions.

Said instructions cause SPAM-controller, 205C, to execute “GRAPHICS OFF”at said PC-MicroKey System then transmit a particular clear-and-continueinstruction to the CPU of microcomputer, 205, the function of whichinstruction is described more fully below. In so doing, SPAM-controller,205C, completes said cease-overlaying-at-205 instructions.

(Because said cease-overlaying-at-205 instructions are executed only bySPAM commands with “10” headers, comparing information at saidSPAM-header-@205 memory with header-identification-@205 information isunnecessary.)

Having completed the controlled functions of said second message,automatically SPAM-controller, 205C, prepares to receive the nextinstance of SPAM message information. Automatically, SPAM-controller,205C, determines that the information at said SPAM-header-@205 registermemory does not match said cause-retention-of-exec-@205 information thatis “01”; causes all apparatus of SPAM-controller, 205C, to delete frommemory all information of said transferred binary information; andcommences waiting to receive the binary information of a subsequent SPAMheader.

In the foregoing fashion and as described in “One Combined Medium”above, said transferred information of the third combining synch commandcauses microcomputer, 205, to cease combining the programming of FIG. 1Aand of FIG. 1B and commence transmitting to monitor, 202M, only thecomposite video programming received from divider, 4, (which causesmonitor, 202M, to commence displaying only said video programming) andto continue processing in a predetermined fashion (which fashion may bedetermined by the aforementioned program instruction set).

Operating S. P. Systems . . . Example #1 (A Fourth Message)

The “One Combined Medium” example does not include an instance of a SPAMmessage with a “11” header, but decoder, 203, is preprogrammed toprocess such messages.

A fourth message of example #1 illustrates the processing of a “11”header message.

Immediately after transmitting the third message of example #1, theprogram originating studio of the “Wall Street Week” program embeds andtransmits a fourth message. Said message consists of an “11” headerfollowed immediately by an information segment containing a secondprogram instruction set. More precisely, the first two bits of the firstsignal word of said message are said “11” header, and the remaining bitsof said signal word are padding bits. The first signal word of saidinformation segment is the signal word immediately after said firstword. And immediately after the last signal word of said segment, an endof file signal is transmitted that ends said message.

Subsequently, the embedded information of said fourth message istransferred from divider, 4, to decoder, 203.

Receiving the embedded information of said message causes decoder, 203,automatically to detect, check, correct as necessary, and convert saidinformation into binary information of said fourth message; to processand transfer said binary information at the EOFS valve of controller,39; then to process the header in said binary information.

Receiving said header causes controller, 39, to determine that saidmessage is addressed to URS microcomputers, 205, and to transfer saidmessage accordingly. Receiving the first H converted bits of said binaryinformation from said valve causes controller, 39, to select and recordsaid H bits (said “11” header) at said SPAM-header register memory thendetermine that the information at said SPAM-header memory matches said11-header-invoking information that is “11”. Said match causescontroller, 39, to execute particular preprogrammedprocess-11-header-message instructions.

Said instructions cause controller, 39, to execute controlled functionsas if the information at said SPAM-last-01-header-exec register memorywere the execution segment information of said “11” header message.Automatically, said instructions cause controller, 39, to compare theinformation at said SPAM-last-01-header-exec memory (which informationis the execution segment of the first combining synch command) with saidcontrolled-function-invoking information. Automatically, controller, 39,determines that said information at memory matches particularpreprogrammed this-message-addressed-to-205 information that invokes theaforementioned transfer-to-205 instructions. Automatically controller,39, executes said instructions; activates the output port that outputsto SPAM-controller, 205C; and determines that said information atSPAM-header memory matches particular “11” information. Said matchcauses controller, 39, automatically to execute saidtransfer-a-01-or-a-11-header-message instructions.

An “11” header distinguishes a message that contains lowest priorityinformation. Just like an “01” header message, each instance of amessage with a “11” header ends with an end of file signal. Accordingly,said instructions cause controller, 39, to transfer said fourth messagein precisely the same fashion that applied to the transfer of the firstmessage of example #1. Automatically controller, 39, commencestransferring the binary information of said fourth message, startingwith said first H bits, and continues so transferring, as said binaryinformation is outputted by said EOFS valve, until said valve detectsthe end of file signal of said message and causes EOFS-signal-detectedinformation to be inputted to the CPU of controller, 39.

In due course and in precisely the fashion of the first message ofexample #1, said valve detects the eleven EOFS WORDs of said end of filesignal and causes transmission of said EOFS-signal-detected informationto controller, 39, which causes controller, 39, to transmit saidtransmit-and-wait instruction to said valve. Said instruction causessaid valve to perform all the functions caused by the correspondinginstruction of said first message, including transferring one completeend of file signal (which information is automatically transferred toSPAM-controller, 205C). In this fashion, controller, 39, transfers thecomplete information of said fourth message to the addressed apparatusof said message—the SPAM-controller, 205C.

Having transferred the binary information of said fourth message,controller, 39, prepares all apparatus of decoder, 203, to receive thenext instance of SPAM message information in precisely the fashion ofsaid first message with one exception. Unlike said first message whichhad an “01” header and contained a command with an execution segment,said fourth message has an “11” header and contains no execution segmentinformation. Accordingly, receiving said fourth message does not causecontroller, 39, to record information at said SPAM-last-01-header-execmemory. When controller, 39, compares the information at saidSPAM-header register memory to said cause-retention-of-exec informationthat is “01”, no match results. The information that was at said memorywhen said message was received—specifically, the execution segment ofthe first message—remains at said memory.

(If no information were to exist at said SPAM-last-01-header-exec memorywhen information at said memory is compared with saidcontrolled-function-invoking information, controller, 39, would detectthe absence of said information in a predetermined fashion and, in thefashion described above in the description of the first message, wouldcause all apparatus of decoder, 203, to discard all message informationuntil an end of file signal were received and discarded then wouldprocess the first H converted bits of the next received binaryinformation as a subsequent SPAM header.)

At SPAM-controller, 205C, (and at SPAM-controllers, 205C, of URSmicrocomputers, 205) receiving the transferred binary information ofsaid fourth message causes all apparatus automatically to process theinformation of said message in the preprogrammed fashions of saidapparatus.

Automatically the EOFS valve of SPAM-controller, 205C, processes andtransfers said information until an end of file signal is detected.

Receiving the header of said fourth message causes SPAM-controller,205C, to determine the controlled function or functions that saidmessage instructs URS microcomputers, 205, to perform and to execute theinstructions of said functions. Receiving the first H bits of saidtransferred binary information from said valve causes SPAM-controller,205C, to select and record said first H bits (said “11” header) at saidSPAM-header-@205 register memory then determine that said information atSPAM-header-@205 memory matches said 11-header-invoking-@205 informationthat is “11”. Said match causes SPAM-controller, 205C, to executeparticular preprogrammed process-11-header-message-@205 instructions.

Said instructions cause SPAM-controller, 205C, to execute controlledfunctions as if the information at said SPAM-last-01-header-exec-@205register memory (which information is the execution segment of the firstcombining synch command) were the execution segment information of said“11” header message. Automatically, said instructions causeSPAM-controller, 205C, to compare the information at said memory withsaid controlled-function-invoking information-@205. A match results withsaid execute-load-run-and-code information, causing SPAM-controller,205C, automatically to execute said load-run-and-code instructions. Aswith said first message, said instructions control the loading, at themain RAM of microcomputer, 205, and running of the information segmentinformation that follows said H bits, which information is said secondprogram instruction set.

To locate, in said transferred binary information, the first bit of saidinformation, said instructions cause SPAM-controller, 205C, to comparethe information at said SPAM-header-@205 memory with saidheader-identification-@205 information and determine that saidinformation at memory matches particular “11” information. In otherwords, to locate said bit, SPAM-controller, 205C, must process only theinformation associated with an “11” header. Accordingly, said matchcauses SPAM-controller, 205C, automatically to execute particularpreprogrammed prepare-to-load-11-header-message instructions.

At any given time, each instance of header information is of oneconstant binary length—H bits—that either does or does not fill a wholenumber of signal words exactly. If H bits do not, the last signal wordof any given instance of a “11” header message header is not completelyfilled with header information, and padding bits that are MOVE bits fillout said signal word. But if H bits do fill a whole number of signalwords exactly, the last signal word in which header information maycontain no MOVE bit information, in which case one full word of paddingbits follows said signal word and precedes the first information segmentsignal word of said message.

To locate said first bit, said prepare-to-load-11-header-messageinstructions include particular preprogrammed 11-header-word-lengthinformation and particular preprogrammed 11-header-end-conditioninformation. At those times when H bits of binary information fill awhole number of signal words exactly, said 11-header-word-lengthinformation is the largest integer that is less than said whole number,and said end-condition information is the binary value of zero. At thosetimes when H bits do not fill a whole number of signal words exactly,said 11-header-word-length information is the smallest integer largerthan the number of signal words that said H bits do fill, and saidheader-end-condition information is the binary value of one.

When executed, said prepare-to-load-11-header-message instructions causeSPAM-controller, 205C, to place information of said11-header-word-length at particular first-working-@205 register memorythen compare said 11-header-end-condition information to particularpreprogrammed information that is “0”.

Not resulting in a match means that the last signal word in which headerinformation occurs contains at least one MOVE bit of padding and thatsaid 11-header-word-length information is the length of every instanceof a “11” header information. Accordingly, not resulting in a matchcauses SPAM-controller, 205C, to execute of particular preprogrammedcommence-loading-11-header-message instructions.

On the other hand, resulting in a match means that the last signal wordof header information must be evaluated to ascertain whether it containsMOVE bit information. Accordingly, resulting in a match causesSPAM-controller, 205C, starting with the first signal word of saidtransferred binary information, to skip a number of signal words of saidinformation, which number is the number of the integer information atsaid first-working-@205 memory. In so doing, SPAM-controller, 205C,skips every signal word of header information but said last word. Then,automatically, said instructions cause SPAM-controller, 205C, to comparesaid last word to said particular preprogrammed EOFS-WORD information.If no match results, said word is the last word of said message.Otherwise, one full signal word of padding bits follows said word andends said message. Accordingly, not resulting in a match causesSPAM-controller, 205C, to add binary information of one to said integerinformation at said first-working-@205 memory, but resulting in a matchcauses SPAM-controller, 205C, to add binary information of two to saidinteger information at said first-working-@205 memory. Then,automatically, SPAM-controller, 205C, executes saidcommence-loading-11-header-message instructions.

When executed, said commence-loading-11-header-message instructionscause SPAM-controller, 205C, starting with the first signal word of saidtransferred binary information, to skip a number of signal words, whichnumber is the number of the integer information at saidfirst-working-@205 memory. In so doing, SPAM-controller, 205C, skipsevery signal word of header information. Then said instructions instructSPAM-controller, 205C, to commence loading information at the main RAMof microcomputer, 205, starting with the first signal word after thelast skipped signal word, and cause SPAM-controller, 205C, to commenceexecuting said load-run-and-code instructions at a particularinstruction.

Starting at said instruction, said load-run-and-code instructions causeSPAM-controller, 205C, to instruct microcomputer, 205, to commencereceiving information from SPAM-controller, 205C, and loading saidinformation at particular main RAM, in a fashion well known in the art.

Thereafter, said instructions cause SPAM-controller, 205C, to processsaid fourth message in precisely the same fashion that applied to thefirst message of example #1.

Said load-run-and-code instructions cause SPAM-controller, 205C, tocommence transferring information to microcomputer, 205, beginning withsaid first signal word, and transfer the remaining signal words of saidtransferred binary information, signal word by signal word, until saidvalve detects the end of file signal of said message and causesEOFS-signal-detected information to be inputted to the CPU ofSPAM-controller, 205C. As microcomputer, 205, receives said information,it loads said information at particular main RAM.

In due course, said valve transfers the last signal word of theinformation segment of said fourth message, which is the last signalword of said program instruction set, which causes SPAM-controller,205C, to transfer said word to microcomputer, 205, and microcomputer,205, to load said word at said RAM.

In this fashion, receiving the information of said fourth message causesthe apparatus of the subscriber station of FIG. 3 to load said programinstruction set at the main RAM of microcomputer, 205, (and otherstations to load said set at other main RAMs).

Then, in precisely the fashion of the first message of example #1, saidvalve detects the eleven EOFS WORDs of said end of file signal andcauses transmission of said EOFS-signal-detected information toSPAM-controller, 205C which causes SPAM-controller, 205C, to causemicrocomputer, 205, to cease loading information at said RAM and executethe information so loaded as the machine executable code of one job.Continuing in said fashion, SPAM-controller, 205C, transmits saiddiscard-and-wait instruction to said valve which causes said valve toset the information at said EOFS WORD Counter to “00000000” and toprocess no next inputted information until a control instruction isreceived from SPAM-controller, 205C.

Then the code portion of said load-run-and-code instructions causeSPAM-controller, 205C, to operate in a fashion that differs from thefashion of said first message. The instructions of said portion causeSPAM-controller, 205C, to compare the information at said SPAM-headermemory to said load-run-and-code information that is “01”. No matchresults because the header of said fourth message is “11” (which meansthat said message contains no meter-monitor information). Not resultingin a match causes SPAM-controller, 205C, automatically to skip theremaining instructions of said code portion and complete saidload-run-and-code instructions without placing any program unit fieldinformation at said SPAM-first-precondition register memory.Accordingly, the program unit information of said “Wall Street Week”program that was caused to be placed at said SPAM-first-preconditionmemory by the first combining synch command remains at said memory.

Having processed the binary information of said fourth message,SPAM-controller, 205C, prepares all apparatus of decoder, 203, toreceive the next instance of SPAM message information in precisely thefashion of said first message with one exception. Receiving said fourthmessage does not cause SPAM-controller, 205C, to record information atsaid SPAM-last-01-header-exec memory-@205. When SPAM-controller, 205C,compares the information at said SPAM-header-@205 memory to saidcause-retention-of-exec-@205 information that is “01”, no match results.The information that was at said memory when said message wasreceived—specifically, the execution segment of the firstmessage—remains at said memory.

In this fashion, the subscriber station of FIG. 3 processes a messagewith an “11” header.

Operating Signal Processor Systems . . . Example #2

In example #2, the first and third messages of the “Wall Street Week”combining are transmitted just as in example #1, but the second messageis partially encrypted.

The second message conveys the second combining synch command. Inexample #2, before said message is embedded at the program originatingstudio and transmitted, the execution segment of said command and all ofthe meter-monitor segment except for the length-token are encrypted,using standard encryption techniques, well known in the art, thatencrypt binary information without altering the number of bits in saidinformation. Partially encrypting the second message in this fashionleaves the cadence information of said message unencrypted. In otherwords, the “00” header, the length-token, and any padding bits added atthe end of said message remain unencrypted. Said message is onlypartially encrypted in order to enable subscriber stations that lackcapacity to decrypt said message to process the cadence information ofsaid message accurately.

In example #2, the encryption of said execution segment is done in sucha fashion that, after encryption, said segment is identical to aparticular execution segment that addresses URS signal processors, 200,and instructs said processors, 200, to use a particular decryption key Jand decrypt the message in which said segment occurs.

Because said message is encrypted, its meter-monitor segment contains asixth field, a meter instruction field. Accordingly, the length of thesecond message, the number of bits in its meter-monitor segment and thenumeric value of MMS-L is greater in example #2 than in example #1.

As described above in “One Combined Medium,” before any messages of the“Wall Street Week” programming are transmitted, control invokinginstructions are embedded at said program originating studio andtransmitted to all subscriber stations. Among said instructions areparticular ones that command URS microcomputers, 205, to set theirPC-MicroKey Model 1300 Systems to the “Graphics Off” mode. Thus, at theoutset of example #2, all PC-MicroKey 1300s are in the “Graphics Off”mode, and no microcomputer, 205, is transmitting combined information ofvideo RAM and received composite video to its associated monitor, 202M.As will be seen, this fact has particular relevance in example #2.

In example #2, the first message of the “Wall Street Week” program istransmitted precisely as in the example #1 and causes precisely the sameactivity at subscriber stations. At each station, a microcomputer, 205,enters appropriate FIG. 1A image information at particular video RAM.

When decoder, 203, receives the embedded information of the secondmessage of example #2, decoder, 203, processes and transfers saidinformation in the same fashion that applied to the second message ofexample #1 with three exceptions.

First, controller, 39, determines that the second message of example #2is addressed to URS signal processors, 200, rather than URSmicrocomputers, 205, and transfers the binary information of saidmessage accordingly. When controller, 39, compares the information atSPAM-exec memory, which is the encrypted execution segment informationof the second message of example #2, with controlled-function-invokinginformation, said information at memory does not match thethis-message-addressed-to-205 information matched in example #1. Rathersaid information at memory matches particular preprogrammedthis-message-addressed-to-200 information that invokes preprogrammedtransfer-to-200 instructions. Controller, 39, executes saidinstructions, and rather than activating the output port that outputs toSPAM-controller, 205C, said instructions cause controller, 39, toactivate the output port that outputs to buffer/comparator, 8, of signalprocessor, 200.

Then, subsequently, when said process-length-token instructions causecontroller, 39, to compare the information at SPAM-length-info memory,which is the length-token information of said second message of example#2, to token-comparison information, said information at memory does notmatch the X-token information matched by the length-token of the secondmessage of example #1. Rather, said information at memory matchesparticular preprogrammed Y-token information associated with particularpreprogrammed y-bits information whose numeric value is the MMS-L of thesecond message of example #2. Said match causes controller, 39,automatically to select said y-bits information and place saidinformation at said SPAM-length-info memory. Thus controller, 39,processes a value of MMS-L that is different from the value processed inexample #1.

Finally, because the second message of example #2 is longer than thesecond message of example #1 and the MMS-L of example #2 is greater thanthe MMS-L of example #1, when said transfer-a-00-header-messageinstructions control the transfer of the second message of example #2 tosignal processor, 200, said instructions transfer a longer message.

In all other respects, controller, 39 processes and transfers the secondmessage of example #2 just as it processed and transferred the secondmessage of example #1. And when the transfer of the second message ofexample #2 is complete, controller, 39, automatically deactivates alloutput ports, deletes all received information of said message frommemory, and commences waiting for the binary information of a subsequentSPAM header.

Receiving the binary signal information of said second message causesbuffer/comparator, 8, automatically to execute a decryption sequence atsignal processor, 200, that is fully automatic and for which allapparatus are preprogrammed.

Receiving said information causes buffer/comparator, 8, first, to placesaid information at a particular received signal location atbuffer/comparator, 8, then to compare a particular portion the first Xbits immediately after the first H bits of said binary information(which X bits are the executions segment of said message) to particularpreprogrammed comparison information in its automatic comparing fashion.(Buffer/comparator, 8, is preprogrammed with information that identifiessaid portion.) A match results with particular comparison informationthat is the bit image of particular SPAM execution segment informationthat instructs URS signal processors, 200, to decrypt. Said match causesbuffer/comparator, 8, to transfer to controller, 20, particulardecrypt-this-message information that includes the memory position ofthe first bit location of said particular received signal location andinformation of the header and execution segment in said binary signalinformation. Receiving said information causes controller, 20, tocompare the information of said execution segment to particularpreprogrammed controlled-function-invoking-@200 information anddetermine a match with particular decrypt-with-key-J information thatinstructs controller, 20, to decrypt the received binary signalinformation with decryption key J.

(At subscriber stations whose URS signal processors, 200, are notpreprogrammed with information of said key J, the information of saidexecution segment fails to match any controlled-function-invoking-@200information. Said failures to match cause the controllers, 20, of saidstations automatically to discard all information transferred by thebuffer/comparators, 8; to cause said buffer/comparators, 8, to discardall received information of said second message; and to cause saidcontrollers, 20, and said buffer/comparators, 8, to commence processingin the conventional fashion.)

(It is to facilitate SPAM processing at said stations that are notpreprogrammed with necessary decryption key information that the cadenceinformation of an otherwise encrypted SPAM message must remainunencrypted. Were either the header or length-token or any padding bitsof said second message encrypted, the decoders, 203, and signalprocessors, 200, of said stations could process the information of theexecution segment correctly but would be unable to locate the last bitof said second message and the header of the following message.Effective SPAM processing would cease and not resume until the apparatusat said stations detected an unencrypted end of file signal. Until thattime, converted binary information could continue to invoke processingat said stations but said processing would be haphazard and almostcertainly undesirable.)

Because the subscriber station of FIG. 3 is preprogrammed with allinformation needed to decrypt said second message, the aforementionedmatch with said decrypt-with-key-J information causes controller, 20, toexecute particular preprogrammed decrypt-with-J instructions. Among saidpreprogrammed instructions is key information of J, and saidinstructions cause controller, 20, automatically to select and transfersaid key information to decryptor, 10.

Decryptor, 10, receives said key information and automatically commencesusing it as its key for decryption.

Then said decrypt-with-J instructions cause controller, 20, to activatethe output capacity of buffer/comparator, 8, that outputs to decryptor,10; to compare said information of the header transferred frombuffer/comparator, 8, to particular preprogrammedheader-identification-@200 information; and to determine that saidinformation of the header matches particular “00” header information.Said match causes controller, 20, automatically to invoke particularpreprogrammed decrypt-a-00-header-message instructions.

Controller, 20, is preprogrammed with information of H, X, L, and H+X;with process-length-token, determine-command-information-word-length,evaluate-end-condition, calculate-number-of-words-to-transfer,evaluate-padding-bits-? instructions; and with token-comparison,W-token, X-token, Y-token, w-bits, x-bits, and y-bits information. Usingpreprogrammed information and instructions as required, saiddecrypt-a-00-header-message instructions transfer the received binaryinformation of said second message from buffer/comparator, 8, todecryptor, 10, in the same fashion that the aforementionedtransfer-a-00-header-message instructions controlled the transfer of theinformation of said message from controller, 39, to buffer/comparator,8.

Under control of said decrypt-a-00-header-message instructions, saidprocess-length-token instructions cause controller, 20, to select the Lbits of said binary signal information that begin at the first bitlocation that is H+X bit locations following the memory position of thefirst bit location of said particular received signal location atbuffer/comparator, 8. Said L bits are the length token of said secondmessage. Automatically controller, 20, compares the information of saidL bits to token-comparison information and determines a match withpreprogrammed Y-token information. Said match causes controller, 20,automatically to select y-bits information and process said informationas the numeric value of MMS-L. Next saiddetermine-command-information-word-length instructions cause controller,20, to determine the number of signal words in the command informationof said second message by adding H+X+L to said y-bits information ofMMS-L and dividing the resulting sum by the number of bits in one signalword. Then said evaluate-end-condition instructions cause controller,20, to place a “0” at particular SPAM-Flag-@20 register memory if saidcommand information fills a whole number of signal words exactly and “1”at said memory if it does not. And saidcalculate-number-of-words-to-transfer instructions cause controller, 20,to determine a particular number of signal words to transfer and placeinformation of said number at particular working-@20 register memory.

Then said decrypt-a-00-header-message instructions cause controller, 20,to transmit to controller, 12, a particular transfer-decrypted-messageinstruction and particular decryption mark information of key J thatidentifies J as the decryption key.

Receiving said instruction and information causes controller, 12, toexecute particular preprogrammed transfer-and-meter instructions thenrecord said mark of key J at particular decryption-mark-@12 registermemory.

Next said decrypt-a-00-header-message instructions cause controller, 20,to cause buffer/comparator, 8, to transfer to decryptor, 10, a quantityof signal words of said binary information of the second message whichquantity is the number at said working-@20 register memory.

Buffer/comparator, 8, responds by transferring to decryptor, 10, binaryinformation that begins at the first bit at said particular receivedsignal location and transfers said information, signal word by signalword, until it has transferred said quantity of signal words.

Decryptor, 10, commences receiving said information, decrypting it usingsaid key J information and transferring it to controller, 12, as quicklyas controller, 12, accepts it. The process of decryption proceeds in aparticular fashion. Said decrypt-a-00-header-message instructions causecontroller, 20, to cause decryptor, 10, to transfer the first H bitswithout decrypting or altering said bits in any fashion, to decrypt andtransfer the next X bits, to transfer the next L bits without decryptingor altering said bits, to decrypt and transfer the next MMS-L bits, andfinally, to transfer any bits remaining after the last of said MMS-Lbits without decrypting or altering said bits. In this fashion, thecadence information in said message, which is not encrypted, istransferred by decryptor, 10, to controller, 12, without alteration.

Under control of said transfer-and-meter instructions, controller, 12,commences receiving decrypted information of the second message fromdecryptor, 10. Having been decrypted, said information is identical tothe binary information of the second message of example #1 (except thatthe meter-monitor information contains the aforementioned meterinstruction information that is not in example #1 and the length tokeninformation of the meter-monitor format field reflects the presence ofsaid instruction information).

Automatically controller, 12, processes said information of the secondmessage of example #2 as a SPAM command. Receiving the header andexecution segment causes controller, 12, to determine that said messageis addressed to URS microcomputers, 205, and to transfer said messageaccordingly. Automatically, controller, 12, selects the first Hconverted bits and records said bits at particular SPAM-header-@12register memory then selects the next X bits and records said bits atparticular SPAM-exec-@12 register memory. Then, automatically, bycomparing the information at said SPAM-exec memory with preprogrammedcontrolled-function-invoking-@12 information, controller, 12, determinesthat said information at memory matches preprogrammedtransfer-this-message-to-205-@12 information. Automatically, controller,12, executes preprogrammed transfer-to-205-@12 instructions; activatesthe output port that outputs to SPAM-controller, 205C; then commencestransferring information of said decrypted information of the secondmessage under control of said transfer-and-meter instructions commencingwith the first of said H bits and transferring information, signal wordby signal word, in the order in which it is received from decryptor, 10.In addition, controller, 12, is preprogrammed with all instructions andinformation necessary for processing the length-token and determiningthe length of the meter-monitor segment of said second message, does so,and records at particular SPAM-meter register memory the first L plusMMS-L bits of said decrypted information immediately after the last ofsaid X bits which is the information of the meter-monitor segment ofsaid message.

When buffer/comparator, 8, completes transferring to decryptor, 10, thequantity of signal words that is the number at said working-@20 registermemory, said decrypt-a-00-header-message instructions cause controller,20, to execute said evaluate-padding-bits-? instructions, determinewhich signal word is the last word of the second message of example #2,and ensure that said word is transferred to decryptor, 10. Following thetransfer of said word, controller, 20, causes decryptor, 10, to transmitparticular decryption-complete information to controller, 20, whendecryptor, 10, completes the transfer to controller, 12, of said wordfollowing its decryption.

Receiving said word at controller, 12, causes controller, 12, totransfer said word to SPAM-controller, 205C, and in so doing, completethe transfer of the decrypted information of said second message.

At microcomputer, 205, (and at the URS microcomputers, 205, at otherstations where the second message of example #2 is decrypted) in thefashion described in example #1, said information, which is theunencrypted binary information of the second combining synch command,executes “GRAPHICS ON” causing microcomputer, 205, to combine theprogramming of FIG. 1A and of FIG. 1B and transmit said combinedprogramming to monitor, 202M, where FIG. 1C is displayed.

(Meanwhile, no second combining synch command reaches the URSmicrocomputers, 205, at those subscriber stations whose URS signalprocessors, 200, are not preprogrammed with information of decryptionkey J because all received information of the second message of example#2 has been discarded. No combining occurs at said microcomputers, 205.And at the time when FIG. 1C is displayed at subscriber stationspreprogrammed with said key J, the monitors, 202M, of said subscriberstations display FIG. 1B.)

Then receiving said decryption-complete information from decryptor, 10,causes controller, 20, to cause buffer/comparator, 8, to discard anyinformation of said second message that may remain at buffer/comparator,8, and commence processing in the conventional fashion; to causedecryptor, 10, to discard said key information of decryption key J andany information of said second message that may remain at decryptor, 10;to transmit to controller, 12, a preprogrammed complete-transfer-phaseinstruction; and, itself, to commence processing in the conventionalfashion.

Receiving said complete-transfer-phase instruction causes controller,12, to cease transferring information, under control of saidtransfer-and-meter instructions, to deactivate all output ports, and tocommence executing the meter instructions of said transfer-and-meterinstructions. Said meter instructions cause controller, 12, to comparethe information at said SPAM-header-@12 memory with particularcollect-meter-info information and determine that said H bits matchparticular “00” information. (In other words, said SPAM commandinformation contains meter-monitor information.) Said match causescontroller, 12, automatically to transfer to buffer/comparator, 14,particular header identification information that identifies controller,12, as the source of said transfer the information recorded at saidSPAM-meter memory then the information recorded at saiddecryption-mark-@12 register memory, which information is the decryptionmark of key J. (Hereinafter, said meter information generated by thesecond combining synch command in example #2 is called the “2nd meterinformation (#2).”) Following said transferring, controller, 12,automatically deletes from register memory all information of saidsecond message and commences processing in the conventional fashion.

Receiving the 2nd meter information (#2) causes buffer/comparator, 14,automatically to execute a meter sequence that is fully automatic andfor which all apparatus are preprogrammed and have capacity to perform.

Receiving said information causes buffer/comparator, 14, to compare aparticular portion of the meter-monitor format field of said 2nd meterinformation (#2) to particular distinguishing comparison informationthat identifies meter-monitor format fields that denote the presence ofmeter instruction fields. A match results which causesbuffer/comparator, 14, to select information of bits at particularpredetermined locations (which bits contain the information of the meterinstruction field of said 2nd meter information (#2)) and compare saidselected information to preprogrammed metering-instruction-comparisoninformation and to determine that said field matches particularincrement-by-one information that instructs buffer/comparator, 14, toadd one incrementally to each meter record maintained atbuffer/comparator, 14, that is associated with decryption keyinformation that matches the decryption mark of the instance of meterinformation being processed. Accordingly, buffer/comparator, 14,compares the decryption mark of said 2nd meter information (#2) withpreprogrammed decryption-key-comparison information. Said comparingresults in more than one match, and buffer/comparator, 14, increments byone the meter record associated with each particulardecryption-key-comparison datum that matches the decryption mark of said2nd meter information (#2). Because the information of said meterinstruction field instructs signal processor, 200, only to perform saidincrementing, upon completing the last step of incrementing orcomparing, automatically buffer/comparator, 14, discards all informationof said 2nd meter information (#2) except the incremented recordinformation and commences processing in the conventional fashion.

Thus, not only does the second message of example #2 cause the combiningof FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B and the display of FIG. 1C only at selectedsubscriber stations that are preprogrammed with decryption key J, italso causes the retaining of meter information associated with its owndecryption at said selected stations.

Subsequently, decoder, 203, receives the third message of the “WallStreet Week” program which conveys the third combining synch command.

In example #2, all signal processing apparatus process the thirdcombining synch command precisely as in the first example. Said commandreaches all URS microcomputers, 205, and causes each to execute theaforementioned “GRAPHICS OFF” command. But only at those selected onesof said URS microcomputers, 205, that are preprogrammed with decryptionkey J does the third combining synch command actually cause combining tocease. At all other URS microcomputers, 205, executing “GRAPHICS OFF”has no effect because each of said other URS microcomputers, 205, isalready in “Graphics Off” mode when said “GRAPHICS OFF” is executed.Because the aforementioned particular ones among said control invokinginstructions that preceded the first message of the “Wall Street Week”program caused all URS microcomputers, 205, to set their PC-MicroKey1300s to the “Graphics Off” mode and because no information of thesecond combining synch command reached said other microcomputers, 205,and executed “GRAPHICS ON”, the PC-MicroKey 1300 of each of said otherURS microcomputers, 205, is in “Graphics Off” mode when the thirdmessage of example #2 is transmitted.

Thus in example #2, not only does the second combining synch commandcause the combining and the display of FIG. 1C only at selectedsubscriber stations and the retaining of meter information at (and onlyat) said stations, it also causes selective processing—for example, theselecting of information of decryption key J at selected stations—thatenables the third combining synch command to have effect only atselected stations without any selective processing of said thirdcommand. Placing particular so-called “soft switches,” one of whichexists at each subscriber station, all into one given original position,“off” or “on”, then transmitting a command that is processed selectivelyat selected stations and places said switches at said stations into theopposite position, “on” of “off”, makes it possible to transmit asubsequent command that returns said switches at said selected stations(and only said switches) to said original position without anyadditional selective processing.

Significant advantages of simplicity and speed are achieved by devisingsignal processing apparatus and methods that minimize the need forselective processing. With regard to said third combining synch command,for example, no step of decrypting is required to affect only thosestations that are preprogrammed with decryption key J. Accordingly, nopossibility exists that an error in decrypting may occur at one or moreof said stations, causing the combining of video RAM information andreceived video information, at said one or more, not to cease at theproper time and to continue beyond said time (until such time as somesubsequent command may execute “GRAPHICS OFF” or clear information fromsaid video RAM at said stations). Because no time is required fordecrypting, no possibility exists that some station may take longer (orshorter) than proper to perform decrypting causing the image of FIG. 1Ato be displayed at some monitor, 202M, longer (or shorter) than proper.Perhaps most important, because no time is required for selectiveprocessing of said third command, the time interval that separates thetime of embedding said third command at said remote station thatoriginates the “Wall Street Week” program and the time of ceasing causedby said command at URS microcomputers, 205, can be the shortest possibleinterval. Making it possible for said time interval to be the shortestpossible interval minimizes the chance that an error may occur in thetiming of the embedding of said third command at said remote stationcausing all URS microcomputers, 205, to cease combining at a time thatis other than the proper time.

The Preferred Configuration of Controller, 39, and Spam-Controller,205C.

Heretofore, this specification has treated the controller of decoder,203, (which is controller, 39) and the SPAM input controller ofmicrocomputer, 205, (which is SPAM-controller, 205C) as separatecontrollers. This treatment has served to show how SPAM messages aretransferred from one controller to another, at any given subscriberstation.

But, in the preferred embodiment, the controller of the decoder thatdetects the SPAM signals of a combined medium transmission, at any givensubscriber station, and the controller that executes the information ofsaid signals at the microcomputer that combines the local and broadcastprogramming, at said station, are one and the same. More precisely,controller, 39, of decoder, 203, and SPAM-controller, 205C, are one andthe same (and are called, hereinafter, “controller, 39”). Thus thepreferred embodiment of controller, 39, is configured and preprogrammednot only to control the detecting, correcting, converting, and executingof controlled functions at decoder, 203, but also to input to andexecute at microcomputer, 205, the information of any given detectedSPAM message that is addressed to URS microcomputers, 205.

FIG. 3A shows one such preferred controller, 39.

One aspect of the preferred embodiment of controller, 39, is a series ofbuffers and processors at which forward error correction, protocolconversion, and the invoking of controlled functions take place inseries. Buffer, 39A, and processor, 39B, are the first buffer andprocessor of the series and perform the forward error correctingfunctions of controller, 39. Buffer, 39C, and processor, 39D, are thesecond buffer and processor and perform protocol conversion functions.Buffer, 39E, and control processor, 39J, are the third buffer andprocessor. All controlled functions invoked at controller, 39, byreceived SPAM signals are invoked at control processor, 39J.

Performing forward error correction and protocol conversion and invokingthe controlled functions at a series of processors, in this fashion,rather than sequentially at one processor has significant advantages asregards speed. Inputting the information of each SPAM signal word tothree processors does take longer than inputting said information tojust one processor. But this is more than offset by the fact that havingthree processors rather than just one enables controller, 39, to processthe information of three signal words simultaneously. Control processor,39J, can invoke and process the controlled function of a first signalword while processor, 39D, converts the information of a second signalword and processor, 39B, corrects the information of a third signalword.

A second aspect of the preferred embodiment of controller, 39, is amatrix switch, 39I, that operates under control of control processor,39J, and can transfer information of received SPAM signals from buffer,39E, directly to addressed apparatus. Transferring said information inthis fashion rather than through control processor, 39J, has theadvantage of freeing control processor, 39J, to perform other functionswhile said information is transferred.

As FIG. 3A shows, each processor, 398, 39D, and 39J, has associated RAMand ROM and, hence, constitutes a programmable controller in its ownright. Each processor, 39B, 39D, and 39J, controls its associatedbuffer, 39A, 39C, and 39E respectively. Each buffer, 39A, 39C, and 39E,is a conventional buffer that receives, buffers, and transfers binaryinformation in fashions well known in the art. Each buffer, 39A and 39C,transfers its received and buffered information to its associatedprocessor, 39B and 39D respectively, for processing. Buffer, 39E,transfers its received and buffered information, via EOFS Valve, 39F, tomatrix switch, 39I.

The preferred embodiment of controller, 39, also has a buffer, 39G, thatis a conventional buffer with means for receiving information from otherinputs external to decoder, 203. Among said inputs is, in particular, aninput from controller, 12, of signal processor, 200 (which inputperforms the functions of the input from controller, 12, toSPAM-controller, 205C, shown in FIG. 3). Buffer, 39G, outputs itsreceived and buffered information, via EOFS Valve, 39H, to matrixswitch, 39I. Buffer, 39G, is configured, in a fashion well known in theart, with capacity to identify to control processor, 39J, which input isthe source of any given instance of information received and buffered atbuffer, 39G, and capacity to output selectively, under control ofcontrol processor, 39J, any given instance of received information.

EOFS Valves, 39F and 39H, are EOFS valves of the type described aboveand transfer the buffered information of buffers, 39E and 39Grespectively, to matrix switch, 39I. Said valves operate under controlof control processor, 39J, and monitor all information, so transferred,continuously for end of file signals in the fashion described above.

Matrix switch, 39I, is a conventional digital matrix switch, well knownin the art of telephone communication switching, that is configured forthe small number of inputs and outputs required at controller, 39.Matrix switch, 39I, operates under control of control processor, 39J,and has capacity to receive SPAM signal information from a multiplicityof inputs, including EOFS Valves, 39E and 39F, and from controlprocessor, 39J, and to transfer said information to a multiplicity ofoutputs, including control processor, 39J; the CPU of microcomputer,205; buffer/comparator, 8, of signal processor, 200; buffer/comparator,14, of signal processor, 200; and other outputs. Among such otheroutputs is one or more (hereinafter called, “null outputs”) withcapacity for accepting binary information and merely recording saidinformation at particular memory associated with matrix switch, 39I,thereby overwriting and obliterating information previously recorded atsaid memory. The purpose of such a null output is to provide meanswhereby said switch can automatically cause information of any selectedSPAM message to be discarded rather than transferred to addressedapparatus. (Other examples of other outputs are cited below.) Matrixswitch, 39I, also has capacity to receive control information fromcontrol processor, 39J, and transfer said information to the CPU and/orthe PC-MicroKey 1300 system of microcomputer, 205, and to receivecontrol information from the CPU and/or the PC-MicroKey 1300 system ofmicrocomputer, 205, and transfer said information to control processor,39J. Matrix switch, 39I, transfers information in such a way thatinformation inputted at any given input is transferred to a selected oneor ones of said outputs without modification, and a multiplicity ofinformation transfers can take place simultaneously.

Control processor, 39J, has capacity for computing information andprocessing all control information necessary for controlling allapparatus of decoder, 203 (or such other decoder as the controller of agiven control processor, 39J, may be installed in). In keeping with thefunction of control processor, 39J, as the processor at which allcontrolled functions of controller, 39, are invoked, all aforementionedparticular register memories of controller, 39, are located at controlprocessor, 39J. The register memories of control processor, 39J, include(but are not limited to) particular SPAM-input-signal register memorywhose length in bit locations is sufficient to contain the longestpossible instance of SPAM command information with associated paddingbits; the aforementioned SPAM-header and SPAM-exec register memories;particular SPAM-Flag-monitor-info, SPAM-Flag-at-secondary-control-level,SPAM-Flag-executing-secondary-command,SPAM-Flag-secondary-level-incomplete,SPAM-Flag-primary-level-2nd-step-incomplete,SPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete,SPAM-Flag-secondary-level-2nd-step-incomplete,SPAM-Flag-secondary-level-3rd-step-incomplete,SPAM-Flag-first-condition-failed, SPAM-Flag-second-condition-failed,SPAM-Flag-do-not-meter, and SPAM-Flag-working register memories each ofwhich are one bit location in length; the aforementionedSPAM-length-info, SPAM-mm-format, SPAM-first-precondition,SPAM-second-precondition, SPAM-last-01-header-exec register memories;particular SPAM-decryption-mark, SPAM-primary-input-source,SPAM-secondary-input-source, SPAM-next-primary-instruction-address,SPAM-next-secondary-instruction-address,SPAM-executing-secondary-command, SPAM-last-secondary-01-header-exec,SPAM-address-of-next-instruction-upon-primary-interrupt, andSPAM-address-of-next-instruction-upon-secondary-interrupt registermemories whose functions are described below; and a plurality of workingregister memories that include first-working and second-working registermemories. (With the exception of the memories whose names include theword “working,” all the aforementioned register memories are dedicatedstrictly to the functions described below and are not used for any otherfunctions.) All preprogrammed information associated with theidentification and execution of controlled functions and theaforementioned conventional instructions that control controller, 39,are preprogrammed at the RAM and/or ROM associated with controlprocessor, 39J. Examples of said preprogrammed information includerelevant information of the aforementioned controlled-function-invokinginformation, process-length-token instructions, andexecute-conditional-overlay-at-205 information (that is part of theaforementioned controlled-function-invoking-@205 information).

Besides being the processor at which all controlled functions ofcontroller, 39, are invoked, control processor, 39J, is the processorthat controls all controlled apparatus of decoder, 203, (except for adecryptor, 39K, described more fully below) and controls all apparatusdescribed above as being controlled by SPAM-controller, 205C. Controlprocessor, 39J, controls not only buffers, 39E and 39G, valves, 39F and39H, and switch, 39I, but also processors, 39B and 39D, as well as allother apparatus of decoder, 203, controlled by controller, 39. Controlprocessor, 39J, has all required transmission capacity for transmittingcontrol instructions to and receiving control information from all suchcontrolled apparatus. In addition, control processor, 39J, controls theCPU and the PC-MicroKey 1300 system of microcomputer, 205, in certainSPAM functions and has capacity, via matrix switch, 39I, to transmitcontrol information to and receive control information from said CPU andsaid PC-MicroKey 1300 system. In certain SPAM functions, controller, 20,of signal processor, 200, controls control processor, 39J, and as FIG.3A shows, control processor, 39J, has means for communicating controlinformation directly with said controller, 20. The RAM and/or ROMassociated with control processor, 39J, are preprogrammed with allinformation necessary for controlling all such controlled apparatus.

As FIG. 3A shows, the preferred embodiment of controller, 39, also has adecryptor, 39K. Said decryptor, 39K, is a conventional decryptor that isidentical to decryptor, 10, of signal processor, 200. Decryptor, 39K,receives inputted information from matrix switch, 39I; outputs itsinformation to buffer, 39H; has means for communicating controlinformation directly with controller, 20, of signal processor, 200; andis controlled by said controller, 20. Decryptor, 39K, is preprogrammedwith relevant SPAM information (e.g., information of H, X, and L) andhas capacity for processing SPAM message information if fashionsdescribed more fully below.

In the preferred embodiment, to maximize the speed of informationtransmission, all apparatus of controller, 39, are located physically onone so-called silicon microchip and communicate with one another, infashions well known in the art, by means of the circuits of said chip.All apparatus of said chip function, in a fashion well known in the art,at the same clock speed. Said speed may be the speed of the controlclock of microcomputer, 205, communicated to controller, 39, in anappropriate fashion, well known in the art. Or said speed may be thecontrol clock speed of signal processor, 200.

Examples #3 and #4 of the combining of the “Wall Street Week” programdescribed above, which relate elaborations of examples #1 and #2,illustrate in detail the operation of the preferred embodiment ofcontroller, 39.

Operating S. P. Systems . . . Example #3 (First Word)

Example #3 differs from example #1 in just two respects.

First, example #3 focuses on selected subscriber stations where signalprocessing apparatus and methods are used to collect monitor informationfor so-called “program ratings” (such as so-called “Nielsen ratings”)that estimate the sizes of television (or radio) program audiences. Inthe present invention, subscriber stations can be preprogrammed toprocess and record monitor information of SPAM commands and transfersaid information to one or more remote data collection stations wherecomputers process the monitor information to generate such ratings. Inexample #3, all apparatus of the subscriber station of FIG. 3 are sopreprogrammed, and buffer/comparator, 14, of signal processor, 200,operates, in fashions described more fully below, under control of theaforementioned on-board controller, 14A.

Second, the controller, 39, of example #3 is the preferred embodiment ofcontroller, 39, and replaces the controller, 39, and SPAM-controller,205C, of example #1. Insofar as messages addressed to URSmicrocomputers, 205, are concerned, the preferred embodiment ofcontroller, 39, is preprogrammed to perform the controlled functions ofthe SPAM-controller, 205C, of example #1. Thus the preprogrammedinformation at the RAM and/or ROM associated with control processor,39J, includes, for example, the execute-at-205,execute-conditional-overlay-at-205, and cease-overlay information andthe load-run-and-code, conditional-overlay-at-205, andcease-overlaying-at-205 instructions preprogrammed at SPAM-controller,205C, in example #1.

In all other respects example #3 is identical to example #1.

Example #3 begins, like example #1, with divider, 4, transferring theembedded information of the first message to decoder, 203. In the samefashion that applied in example #1, receiving said embedded informationat decoder, 203, causes the binary information of said first message tobe received, with error correcting information, at decoder, 203, anddetected at digital detector, 34. Detector, 34, inputs the detectedinformation to controller, 39, at buffer, 39A.

The first step of processing at controller, 39, takes place atprocessor, 39B, where error correction occurs. As said detectedinformation is inputted, buffer, 39A, receives, buffers, and transferssaid information, signal word by signal word, an to processor, 39B, in afashion well in the art. Processor, 39B, receives each word, in turn,with its associated error correcting information and uses the errorcorrecting information, in its forward error correcting fashion, tocheck the binary information of said word and correct the information ofsaid word, as required, then transfers the correct information of saidword to buffer, 39C, and discards said error correcting information.

The second step of processing is protocol conversion and takes place atprocessor, 39D. Buffer, 39C, receives and buffers the correctedinformation of each word, in turn, and transfers said information toprocessor, 39D. As processor, 39D, receives said information, in itsprotocol conversion fashion, processor, 39B, converts the correctedbinary information of each word into converted information that allappropriate subscriber station apparatus can receive and process andtransfers the converted information of each word to buffer, 39E.

As buffer, 39E, receives the corrected information of each word, buffer,39E, buffers and transfers said information to EOFS valve, 39F, asquickly as said valve, 39F, is prepared to receive said information.EOFS valve, 39F, processes said information, in its end of file signaldetecting fashion described above, to detect information of an end offile signal and outputs said information to matrix switch, 39I, asquickly as the apparatus to which said switch, 39I, transfers saidinformation is prepared to receive said information. As matrix switch,39I, receives the converted information of each word, said switch, 39I,transfers said information to a selected output port of said switch,39I. Said selected port is the particular port to which controlprocessor, 39J, causes said switch, 39I, to transfer said information.

At the outset of example #3, matrix switch, 39I, is configured to inputthe output of EOFS Valve, 39F, to control processor, 39J, and controlprocessor, 39J, awaits header information.

When EOFS valve, 39F, commences transferring the SPAM information of thefirst message of example #3, control processor, 39J, executes a firststep of receiving SPAM message information and receives the headerinformation in said first message. Control processor, 39J, accepts,receives in turn, and records in sequence at particularSPAM-input-signal register memory a particular first quantity of saidwords. Said first quantity is the smallest number of signal words thatcan contain one instance of header information (that is, H bits). In thesimplest preferred embodiment where a SPAM header is two bits long andsignal words are eight-bit bytes, said first quantity is one. Then,automatically, control processor, 39J, ceases accepting SPAM signalinformation transferred from EOFS valve, 39F, and said valve, 39F,commences holding the next processed signal word of said first messageuntil control processor, 39J, becomes prepared, once again, to acceptand receive SPAM signal information.

Then control processor, 39J, processes said header information.Automatically, control processor, 39J, selects information of the firstH bits at said SPAM-input-signal memory and records said information ofH bits at said SPAM-header memory then compares the information at saidSPAM-header memory to the aforementioned 11-header-invoking informationthat is “11”. No match results.

Because control processor, 39J, and the RAM and ROM associated with saidprocessor, 39J, are preprogrammed to process the monitor information ofSPAM commands to provide viewership data for remote computer processing,not resulting in a match with said 11-header-invoking information causescontrol processor, 39J, to execute particular

preprogrammed

evaluate-message-content instructions before receiving and processingthe execution segment information in said first message. Automatically,said instructions cause control processor, 39J, to compare theinformation at said SPAM-header memory with preprogrammedinvoke-monitor-processing information. A match results with particular“01” information. Said match signifies the presence of meter-monitorinformation in said first message and causes control processor, 39J, toenter “0” at particular SPAM-Flag-monitor-info register memory that isnormally “1”.

Then automatically control processor, 39J, executes a second step ofreceiving SPAM signal information and receives the execution segmentinformation in said first message. Automatically, control processor,39J, commences accepting and EOFS valve, 39F, commences transferringadditional SPAM signal words. Automatically, control processor, 39J,receives and records said words in sequence at said SPAM-input-signalmemory immediately following the last of said first quantity of signalwords until the total quantity of SPAM signal words recorded at saidmemory equals a particular second quantity. Said second quantity is thesmallest number of signal words that can contain one instance of headerand execution segment information (that is, H+X bits). (If H+X bits canbe contained in one signal word, said second quantity equals said firstquantity, and control processor, 39J, records no additional SPAM signalwords in the course of said second step of receiving SPAM signalinformation.) Automatically, control processor, 39J, ceases acceptingSPAM signal information transferred from EOFS valve, 39F.

Then control processor, 39J, processes said execution segmentinformation. Automatically, control processor, 39J, selects informationof the first X bits of information at said SPAM-input-signal memoryimmediately after the first H bits, records said information of X bitsat said SPAM-exec memory, and compares the information at said SPAM-execmemory with controlled-function-invoking information that ispreprogrammed at the RAM and/or ROM associated with said processor, 39J.A match results with the aforementioned execute-at-205 information thatis identical to the execute-at-205 information preprogrammed atSPAM-controller, 205C, of example #1. Said match causes controlprocessor, 39J, to execute the aforementioned load-run-and-codeinstructions. Said instructions cause control processor, 39J, to place“0” at the aforementioned SPAM-Flag-primary-level-2nd-step-incompleteregister memory and, separately, atSPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete register memory, whichinformation signifies that specific load-run-and-code controlledfunctions have not been completed, and to place information of aparticular reentry-address at the aforementionedSPAM-address-of-next-instruction-upon-primary-interrupt register memorywhich reentry-address specifies the location of the nextdecrypt-process-and-meter-current-message instruction to be executedwhen interrupt information of a detected end of file signal is receivedby control processor, 39J, from EOFS valve, 39F. Then said instructionscause control processor, 39J, to compare the information at saidSPAM-header memory with preprogrammed header-identification informationand determine a match with particular preprogrammed “01” information.

Under control of said instructions, said match causes control processor,39J, automatically to execute a third step of receiving SPAM signalinformation and receive the length token information in said firstmessage. Automatically, control processor, 39J, commences accepting andEOFS valve, 39F, commences transferring additional SPAM signal words.Automatically, control processor, 39J, receives and records said wordsin sequence at said SPAM-input-signal memory immediately following thelast of said second quantity of signal words until the total quantity ofSPAM signal words recorded at said memory equals a particular thirdquantity. Said third quantity is the smallest number of signal wordsthat can contain one instance of header, execution segment, and lengthtoken information (that is, H+X+L bits). Then, automatically, controlprocessor, 39J, ceases accepting SPAM signal information transferredfrom EOFS valve, 39F.

Automatically, control processor, 39J, processes said length tokeninformation. The RAM and ROM associated with control processor, 39J, arepreprogrammed with all information necessary to determine the length ofSPAM commands including information of H, X, L, and H+X;process-length-token, determine-command-information-word-length,evaluate-end-condition, calculate-number-of-words-to-transfer,evaluate-padding-bits-? instructions; and token-comparison, W-token,X-token, Y-token, Z-token, w-bits, x-bits, y-bits, z-bits, A-format,B-format, C-format, and D-format information. Said preprogrammedinstructions and information cause control processor, 39J, to determinethe number of signal words of command information in said first messagein precisely the same fashion that controller, 39, determined the numberof signal words of command information in the second message in example#2. Automatically, control processor, 39J, selects information of thefirst L bits of information at said SPAM-input-signal memory immediatelyafter the first H+X bits and records said information of L bits atSPAM-length-info memory. Said L bits are the length token of saidmessage. Automatically control processor, 39J, determines that theinformation at said SPAM-length-info memory matches said W-tokeninformation, selects said w-bits information, and processes saidinformation as the numeric value of MMS-L. Automatically, controlprocessor, 39J, determines the number of signal words in the commandinformation of said second message by adding H+X+L to said w-bitsinformation of MMS-L and dividing the resulting sum by the number ofbits in one signal word. Automatically control processor, 39J, places a“0” at particular SPAM-Flag-working register memory if said commandinformation fills a whole number of signal words exactly and “1” at saidmemory if it does not. Automatically, control processor, 39J, thendetermines a particular number of signal words to transfer and placeinformation of said number at particular working register memory.

Next said load-run-and-code instructions cause control processor, 39J,to execute a fourth step of receiving SPAM signal information andcommence receiving all remaining command information and padding bits insaid first message. Automatically, control processor, 39J, commencesaccepting and EOFS valve, 39F, commences transferring additional SPAMsignal words. Automatically, control processor, 39J, receives andrecords said words in sequence at said SPAM-input-signal memoryimmediately following the last of said third quantity of signal wordsuntil the total quantity of SPAM signal words recorded at said memoryequals a particular fourth quantity. Said fourth quantity is the numberat said working register memory. Then, automatically, control processor,39J, compares the information at said SPAM-Flag-working register memoryto particular information that is “0”.

Not resulting in a match means that EOFS valve, 39F, has transferred andcontrol processor, 39J, has recorded all command information of saidfirst message together with any associated padding bits. Accordingly,not resulting in a match causes control processor, 39J, to ceaseaccepting SPAM signal information from EOFS valve, 39F.

On the other hand, resulting in a match means that one full signal wordof padding bits may follow the last signal word of said message thatcontains command information and that said last word must be evaluatedto ascertain whether it contains MOVE bit information. Accordingly,under control of said preprogrammed instructions, resulting in a matchcauses control processor, 39J, to receive one additional signal wordfrom EOFS valve, 39F, to compare said word to particular preprogrammedinformation of one EOFS WORD, and to record said word at saidSPAM-input-signal memory immediately following the last of said fourthquantity of signal words. Said word is the last signal word of saidmessage that contains command information. If said word matches saidinformation of one EOFS WORD, one full signal word of padding bitsfollows said word, and said preprogrammed instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to receive one more signal word from EOFS valve, 39F,and to record said word at said SPAM-input-signal memory immediatelyfollowing said last signal word that contains command information. Then,whether or not a match has occurred with said information of one EOFSWORD, said preprogrammed instructions cause control processor, 39J, tocease accepting SPAM signal information from EOFS valve, 39F.

By receiving all command information and padding bits in said firstmessage in the course of said four steps of receiving SPAM signalinformation, control processor, 39J, causes EOFS valve, 39F, to transferevery signal word in said first message prior to the first word of theinformation segment of said first message. Accordingly, the next signalword transferred by said valve, 39F, is the first word of saidinformation segment, which is the first word of the program instructionset of the “Wall Street Week” combining.

Then said load-run-and-code instructions cause control processor, 39J,to commence loading information at the main RAM of microcomputer, 205.Automatically, under control of said instructions, control processor,39J, causes matrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring information fromEOFS valve, 39F, to control processor, 39J, and to commence transferringinformation from control processor, 39J, to the CPU of microcomputer,205; transmits an instruction to said CPU that causes said CPU tocommence receiving information from matrix switch, 39I, and loading saidinformation at particular main RAM in a fashion well known in the art;and causes matrix switch, 39I, to commence transferring information fromEOFS valve, 39F, to said CPU. Automatically, microcomputer, 205,commences receiving the information of the program instruction set insaid first message, beginning with the first signal word of said set,and loads said information at particular main RAM.

Then, while EOFS valve, 39F, processes the information of theinformation segment of said first message to detect the end of filesignal and while microcomputer, 205, loads the information of saidprogram instruction set at RAM, said load-run-and-code instructionscause control processor, 39J, to commence executing the code portion ofsaid instructions. The instructions of said portion cause controlprocessor, 39J, to compare the information at said SPAM-header memory toparticular load-run-and-code-header information that is “01”. A matchresults (which indicates that said first message contains meter-monitorinformation). Control processor, 39J is preprogrammed withevaluate-meter-monitor-format, process-this-specific-format, andlocate-program-unit instructions and with format-specificationinformation and offset-address information, and said match controlprocessor, 39J, to locate the “program unit identification code”information in the information at said SPAM-input-signal memory andrecord information of said “code” information at SPAM-first-preconditionregister memory in the same fashion that SPAM-controller, 205C,performed these functions in example #1.

To locate said “code” information, said code portion instructions causecontrol processor, 39J, to execute said evaluate-meter-monitor-formatinstructions. Said instructions cause control processor, 39J, to selectinformation of bits at particular predetermined locations at saidSPAM-input-signal memory and record said information at SPAM-mm-formatregister memory. Said bits are the bits of the meter-monitor formatfield in said first message. Then said instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to compare the information at said SPAM-mm-format memorywith said format-specification information, determine a match withparticular A-format information that invokes particular process-A-formatinstructions, and execute said instructions. Said instructions causecontrol processor, 39J, to place a particular A-offset-address number atsaid SPAM-mm-format memory (thereby overwriting and obliterating theinformation previously at said memory) which number specifies theaddress/location at the RAM associated with control processor, 39J, ofthe first bit of information that identifies the specific format of themeter-monitor segment in said first message.

Then said code portion instructions cause control processor, 39J, toexecute the aforementioned locate-program-unit instructions. Saidinstructions cause controller, 39J, to add a particular preprogrammedprogram-unit-field-start-datum-location number to information of saidA-offset-address number and record the resulting first sum then add aparticular preprogrammed program-unit-field-length-datum-location numberto information of said A-offset-address number and record the resultingsecond sum. Next said instructions cause control processor, 39J, toselect preprogrammed binary information of a particular preprogrammeddatum-cell-length number of contiguous bit locations that begin at saidfirst sum number of bit locations after a particular predeterminedfirst-bit location at said RAM and place said binary information atfirst-working register memory and to select preprogrammed binaryinformation of said datum-cell-length number of contiguous bit locationsthat begin at said second sum number of locations after said first-bitlocation and place said binary information at second-working registermemory. In so doing, control processor, 39J, places at saidfirst-working memory information of the bit distance from the first bitlocation of said SPAM-input-signal memory to the first bit location ofsaid program unit field and places at said second-working memoryinformation of the bit location length of said program unit field.Automatically, control processor, 39J, selects binary information of thesecond-working memory information number of contiguous bit locations atsaid SPAM-input-signal memory that begin at the first-working memoryinformation number of bit locations after the first bit location at saidmemory. Automatically, control processor, 39J, places said binaryinformation at said first-working memory. In so doing, controlprocessor, 39J, selects information of the unique “program unitidentification code” that identifies said “Wall Street Week” program.

Then said code portion instructions cause control processor, 39J, toplace at the aforementioned SPAM-first-precondition memory informationof said information at first working memory. In so doing, controlprocessor, 39J, places said “code” at said memory. Then the finalinstructions of said portion cause control processor, 39J, place “1” atSPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete register memory (therebyoverwriting and obliterating the “1” information at said memory), which“1” signifies the completion of the code step executed by saidload-run-and-code instructions.

(At stations that are not preprogrammed to collect monitor information,each control processor, 39J, commences waiting for interrupt informationof the end of file signal at the end of said first message from EOFSvalve, 39F, when each completes the code portion of saidload-run-and-code instructions.)

The station of FIG. 3 is preprogrammed to collect monitor information,and at any point where the control processor, 39J, of a station that isnot so preprogrammed commences waiting, the control processor, 39J, ofthe station of FIG. 3 is preprogrammed automatically to executeparticular preprogrammed collect-monitor-info instructions. Saidinstructions cause control processor, 39J, of the station of FIG. 3 tocompare the information at said SPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory withparticular preprogrammed “0” information. A match results. Under controlof said instructions, said match causes control processor, 39J, to causematrix switch, 39I, to commence transferring information from controlprocessor, 39J, to buffer/comparator, 14, of signal processor, 200,(while said switch is simultaneously transferring information fromcontrol processor, 39J, to the CPU of microcomputer, 205); to transferto said buffer/comparator, 14, header information that identifies atransmission of monitor information then particular decoder-203information that is the source mark of said decoder, 203, (which sourcemark is binary information that is preprogrammed at control processor,39J) then all of the received binary information of said first messagethat is recorded at said SPAM-input-signal memory; then to cause matrixswitch, 39I, to cease transferring information from control processor,39J, to said buffer/comparator, 14. (Said received information iscomplete information of the first combining synch command, and saidinformation transmitted to buffer/comparator, 14, is called,hereinafter, the “1st monitor information (#3).”) Then controlprocessor, 39J, enters “1” at said SPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory,signifying completion of the transfer of said 1st monitor information(#3); completes said collect-monitor-info instructions; and commenceswaiting for interrupt information of end of file signal, transmitted bycontrol transmission means.

In due course, EOFS valve, 39F, receives the last signal word of theinformation segment of said first message, which is the last signal wordof said program instruction 7 set, and transfers said word, via matrixswitch, 39I, to microcomputer, 205, which causes microcomputer, 205, toload said word at said RAM.

Then said valve, 39F, commences receiving information of the eleven EOFSWORDs that constitute the end of file signal at the end of said firstmessage. Receiving the first EOFS WORD of said eleven causes EOFS valve,39F, to commence retaining information of said WORD, in the fashiondescribed above, and to cease transferring information to microcomputer,205. Accordingly, microcomputer, 205, ceases loading information at saidRAM. Said valve, 39F, detects and retains information of the next nineEOFS WORDs in its end of file signal detection fashion. Then, receivingthe eleventh and last EOFS WORD of said end of file signal causes EOFSvalve, 39F, to increment the information at the EOFS WORD Counter ofsaid valve, 39F, by one then determine that the information at saidCounter matches the information at the EOFS Standard Length Location ofsaid valve, 39F, which causes EOFS valve, 39F, to transmitEOFS-signal-detected information to control processor, 39J, as aninterrupt signal then commence waiting for a control instruction fromcontrol processor, 39J.

Receiving an interrupt signal of EOFS-signal-detected information froman EOFS valve, 39F or 39H, while under control of any given set ofpreprogrammed controlled function instructions causes control processor,39J, to execute a so-called “machine language jump” to a predesignatedportion of said instructions, in a fashion well known in the art, andexecute the instructions of said portion.

In the case of said load-run-and-code instructions, receiving anEOFS-signal-detected interrupt signal causes control processor, 39J, tojump to and execute the run portion of said instructions. Receiving theEOFS-signal-detected interrupt signal that the eleventh EOFS WORD of theend of file signal at the end of said first message causes EOFS valve,39F, to transmit causes control processor, 39J, to jump to and executeinstructions that begin with that particular one whose location isidentified by the reentry-address information at the aforementionedSPAM-address-of-next-instruction-upon-primary-interrupt register memory.Said instructions are the instructions of said run portion.Automatically, said instructions cause control processor, 39J, to causematrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring information from EOFS valve,39F, to the CPU of microcomputer, 205, and to commence transferringinformation from control processor, 39J, to said CPU; to transmit acontrol instruction to said CPU that causes microcomputer, 205, to ceaseloading information at said main RAM and execute the information soloaded as so-called “machine executable code” of one so-called “job”;then to transmit the aforementioned discard-and-wait instruction, viacontrol transmission means, to EOFS valve, 39F. In so doing, controlprocessor, 39J, completes the instructions of said run portion.

Receiving said discard-and-wait instruction causes EOFS valve, 39F, toset the information at said EOFS WORD Counter to “00000000”, to transmitthe aforementioned complete-and-waiting information to controlprocessor, 39J, as a second interrupt signal, then to commence waitingfor a further control instruction from control processor, 39J.

Automatically said load-run-and-code instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to compare the information at saidSPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete memory with particularpreprogrammed “1” information. A match results which signifies thatcontrol processor, 39J, has already completed the code portion of saidload-run-and-code instructions. Said match causes control processor,39J, to complete said load-run-and-code instructions.

Having completed the controlled functions of said first message,automatically control processor, 39J, prepares to receive the next SPAMmessage. Automatically, control processor, 39J, determines, in apredetermined fashion, that EOFS valve, 39F, is the primary input tocontrol processor, 39J, of SPAM message information; causes matrixswitch, 39I, to commence transferring information from EOFS valve, 39F,to control processor, 39J; then compares the information at saidSPAM-header memory to particular preprogrammed cause-retention-of-execinformation that is “01”. A match results which causes controlprocessor, 39J, to place at the aforementioned SPAM-last-01-header-execregister memory information of the information at said SPAM-exec memory.Being preprogrammed to collect monitor information, control processor,39J, automatically compares the information at saidSPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory with particular preprogrammed “0”information. No match results which indicates that control processor,39J, has completed collect-monitor-info instructions in respect to saidfirst message. Then, automatically, control processor, 39J, causes allapparatus of control processor, 39J, to delete from memory allinformation of said first message except information at saidSPAM-first-precondition and SPAM-last-01-header-exec memories. Finally,after receiving said complete-and-waiting information from EOFS valve,39F, control processor, 39J, causes said valve, 39F, to commenceprocessing inputted signal words, in its preprogrammed detectingfashion, and outputting information to matrix switch, 39I, and controlprocessor, 39J, commences waiting to receive information of a subsequentSPAM header from said switch, 39I.

As described in “One Combined Medium” above, running the information ofsaid program instruction set causes microcomputer, 205, (and URSmicrocomputers, 205, at other subscriber stations) to place appropriateFIG. 1A image information at particular video RAM. In addition, runningsaid set also causes microcomputer, 205, after completing placing saidimage information at said RAM, to transfer particularnumber-of-overlay-completed information and instructions to controlprocessor, 39J. Said information and instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to place the number “00000001” at particularSPAM-second-precondition register memory at control processor, 39J,signifying that said image information represents the first overlay ofits associated video program.

Receiving said 1st monitor information (#3) causes buffer/comparator,14, to compare the information, in said 1st information, of the headerinformation that identifies a transmission of monitor information toparticular preprogrammed header-identification-@14 information. A matchresults with particular monitored-instruction-fulfilled-identificationinformation which causes buffer/comparator, 14, to input said 1stmonitor information (#3) to onboard controller, 14A.

Receiving said 1st monitor information (#3) causes onboard controller,14A, to record the source mark information in said 1st information atparticular source-mark-@14A register memory; to record at particularSPAM-input-signal-@14A register memory all of the received binaryinformation of said first message that was recorded at theaforementioned SPAM-input-signal memory of controller, 39J; and toexecute particular preprogrammed process-monitor-info instructions.(Onboard controller, 14A, processes the 1st monitor information (#3)upon receipt, and this processing can occur simultaneously with theloading of the program instruction set of said first message at RAM atmicrocomputer, 205, while control processor, 39J, waits to receive anEOFS-signal-detected signal from EOFS valve, 39F.) Automatically, saidinstructions cause onboard controller, 14A, to compare the informationat said source-mark-@14A memory, in a predetermined fashion, withparticular pre-entered source-identification mark information thatonboard controller, 14A, retains in memory associated with itspre-entered signal records of monitor information. A match results withthat particular decoder-203 source mark information that is associatedwith the aforementioned record of the prior programming displayed atmonitor, 202M. Said match causes onboard controller, 14A, to locate theinstance of “program unit identification code” information in theinformation at said SPAM-input-signal-@14A register memory in preciselythe same fashion that the code portion instructions of theaforementioned load-run-and-code instructions caused controller, 39J, tolocate “program unit identification code” information in information ofsaid first message. (Onboard controller, 14A, is preprogrammed with allinformation necessary for locating and processing the information of allthe meter-monitor fields in any monitor information transmission such assaid 1st monitor information (#3)—said preprogrammed informationincludes, for example, format-specification information, A-formatinformation, and locate-program-unit instructions.) Automatically, saidprocess-monitor-info instructions cause onboard controller, 14A, in apredetermined fashion, to locate the instance of “program unitidentification code” information in said record of the prior programmingdisplayed at monitor, 202M, and to compare said first named instance of“program unit identification code” information to said second namedinstance. No match results.

Not resulting in a match causes onboard controller, 14A, to cause signalprocessor, 200, to record said record of prior programming at recorder,16. Automatically, under control of said process-monitor-infoinstructions, onboard controller, transmits to controller, 20, aparticular preprogrammed instruct-to-record instruction that causescontroller, 20, to cause onboard controller, 14A, to transmit themonitor record of said prior programming to recorder, 16, in apredetermined fashion and that causes controller, 20, to cause recorder,16, to record said monitor record information in a predeterminedfashion. (Certain transfer functions caused by said transmission ofinstruct-to-record information are described more fully below in“Operating Signal Processing Systems . . . Signal Record Transfer.”)

Then said process-monitor-info instructions cause onboard controller,14A, to initiate a new monitor record that reflects the new “Wall StreetWeek” programming. Automatically, said instructions cause onboardcontroller, 14A, in a predetermined fashion, to delete all informationat the monitor record location of said monitor record of priorprogramming except the source mark information associated with saidrecord; to record information of said first named instance of “programunit identification code” information (which is the “program unitidentification code” of said “Wall Street Week” program to a particular“program unit identification code” location at said record location; toselect particular information located at said SPAM-input-signal-@14Aregister memory and record information at said record location; toselect particular preprogrammed record format information thatidentifies the format of the information at said record location andplace information of said information at a particular location at saidrecord location and, separately, at a particular format comparisonlocation; and finally, to discard all unrecorded information of said 1stmonitor information (#3) and commence waiting for the next inputtedinstance of monitor information.

The content of the 1st monitor information (#3) [more particularly, theinformation of the command execution segment and of the meter-monitorformat field] causes onboard controller, 14A, to organize theinformation of said new monitor record in a particular fashion. Thecommand execution segment of the 1st monitor information (#3) causessignal processor, 200, to assemble the this new monitor record in aparticular format of a combined video/computer medium display and toinclude a particular record format field within said format identifyingthe format of said record. (Were the execution segment of said commandof the aforementioned pseudo command, signal processor, 200, wouldinitiate a record for a conventional television program.) From thecommand meter-monitor segment of the 1st monitor information (#3),onboard controller, 14A, selects and records at particular signal recordfield locations at said record location the information that identifiesthe program unit of the particular “Wall Street Week” program, theorigin of the “Wall Street Week” transmission, and the day of theparticular transmission within a one hundred year period. In apredetermined fashion, onboard controller, 14A, also records in aparticular monitor record field location at said record location aparticular display unit identification code that identifies monitor,202M, as the display apparatus of said new monitor record. In apredetermined fashion, signal processor, 200, records date and timeinformation received from clock, 18, in first and last particular timefield locations at said record location that document the date and timerespectively of the first and of the last received instances of monitorinformation of the particular program unit and source mark.

Operating S. P. Systems . . . Example #3 (Second Message)

Subsequently, the embedded information of the second message of the“Wall Street Week” program is inputted to decoder, 203. Receiving saidembedded information at decoder, 203, causes the SPAM information ofsaid second message to be detected at detector 34; inputted tocontroller, 39, at buffer, 39A; checked and corrected, as necessary, atprocessor, 39B; converted into locally usable binary information atprocessor, 39D; and processed by EOFS valve, 39F, in the end of filesignal detecting fashion of said valve, 39F, with all these functionsoccurring in the same fashions that applied to the SPAM information ofthe first message.

When EOFS valve, 39F, commences transferring the SPAM information of thesecond message, receiving the information of the header of said messagecauses control processor, 39J, to commence processing the information ofsaid message under control of the preprogrammed instructions at the RAMand ROM associated with said processor, 39J, and to process, inparticular, the information of said header. Automatically, controlprocessor, 39J, accepts the smallest number of signal words that cancontain one instance of header information, records the information ofsaid words in sequence at SPAM-input-signal register memory, then ceasesaccepting SPAM signal information transferred from EOFS valve, 39F.Automatically, control processor, 39J, selects information of the firstH bits at said SPAM-input-signal memory and records aid information of Hbits at SPAM-header memory then compares the information at saidSPAM-header memory to the aforementioned 11-header-invoking informationthat is “11”. No match results.

Not resulting in a match causes control processor, 39J, first, toexecute the aforementioned evaluate-message-content instructions then toreceive and process the execution segment information in said secondmessage. Automatically, control processor, 39J, compares the informationat said SPAM-header memory with preprogrammed invoke-monitor-processinginformation. A match results with particular “00” information. Saidmatch signifies the presence of meter-monitor information in said secondmessage and causes control processor, 39J, to enter “0” atSPAM-Flag-monitor-info register memory that is normally “1”. Then,automatically, control processor, 39J, commences accepting additionalSPAM signal words from EOFS valve, 39F; receives and records additionalwords at said SPAM-input-signal memory, in sequence after theinformation already there, until the total quantity of SPAM signal wordsrecorded at said memory equals the smallest number of signal words thatcan contain one instance of header and execution segment information;then ceases accepting SPAM signal information from EOFS valve, 39F.Automatically, control processor, 39J, selects information of the firstX bits of information at said SPAM-input-signal memory immediately afterthe first H bits, records said information of X bits at said SPAM-execmemory, and compares the information at said SPAM-exec memory withcontrolled-function-invoking information that is preprogrammed at theRAM and/or ROM associated with said processor, 39J. A match results withthe aforementioned execute-conditional-overlay-at-205 information thatis identical to the execute-conditional-overlay-at-205 informationpreprogrammed at SPAM-controller, 205C, of example #1. Said match causescontrol processor, 39J, to execute the aforementionedconditional-overlay-at-205 instructions. Said instructions causeSPAM-controller, 205C, to execute “GRAPHICS ON” at the PC-MicroKeySystem of microcomputer, 205, if the information of the program unitfield in the meter-monitor information of said second message matchesthe information at said SPAM-first-precondition register memory and theinformation of the overlay number field in said meter-monitorinformation matches the information at said SPAM-second-preconditionregister memory.

Automatically, said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions causecontrol processor, 39J, to receive and process the length tokeninformation in said second message. Automatically, control processor,39J, recommences accepting additional SPAM signal words from EOFS valve,39F; receives and records additional words at said SPAM-input-signalmemory, in sequence after the information already there, until the totalquantity of SPAM signal words recorded at said memory equals thesmallest number of signal words that can contain one instance of header,execution segment, and length token information; then ceases acceptingSPAM signal information from EOFS valve, 39F. Under control of the samepreprogrammed instructions that controlled the processing of the lengthtoken of the first message, control processor, 39J, processes the lengthtoken of the second message in the same fashion that applied to thefirst message but with one exception. Control processor, 39J, determinesthat the length token of said second message matches X-tokeninformation, when compared with token-comparison information, ratherthan Y-token information (which was the information matched by thelength token information of the second message of example #2). Saidmatch causes control processor, 39J, to select x-bits information, placesaid information at SPAM-length-info memory, and process said x-bitsinformation as the numeric value of MMS-L. Then, in precisely the samefashion that applied in the case of the first message, controlprocessor, 39J, determines a particular number of signal words totransfer and places information of said number at particular workingregister memory.

Next said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to receive all remaining command information and paddingbits of said second message and to load said information and bits atsaid SPAM-input-signal memory in precisely the same fashion that appliedin the case of the first message. Automatically, control processor, 39J,recommences accepting additional SPAM signal words from EOFS valve, 39F,and receives and records additional words at said SPAM-input-signalmemory, in sequence after the information already there, until the totalquantity of SPAM signal words recorded at said memory equals the numberat said working register memory. Then, if the command information insaid second message does not fill a whole number of signal wordsexactly, control processor, 39J, automatically ceases accepting SPAMsignal information from EOFS valve, 39F. But if, instead, said commandinformation does fill a whole number of signal words exactly,automatically control processor, 39J, receives one additional signalword from EOFS valve, 39F; compares said word to information of one EOFSWORD; records said word at said SPAM-input-signal memory immediatelyfollowing the information already recorded at said memory; receives onemore signal word from EOFS valve, 39F, and records said word at saidSPAM-input-signal memory immediately following the information of saidone additional signal word if said additional word matched saidinformation of one EOFS WORD at the aforementioned comparing; and ceasesaccepting SPAM signal information from EOFS valve, 39F.

By receiving all command information and padding bits in said secondmessage, control processor, 39J, causes EOFS valve, 39F, to transferevery signal word in said message. Accordingly, the next signal word tobe transferred by said valve, 39F, is the first word of the next messageembedded in the “Wall Street Week” programming transmission after saidsecond message.

Then, in order to locate the information of the program unit and overlaynumber fields in the meter-monitor information of said second message,said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions cause control processor,39J, to execute said evaluate-meter-monitor-format instructions and saidinstructions cause control processor, 39J, to place a selectedoffset-address number at SPAM-mm-format memory in the same fashion thatapplied in the case of the first message. Automatically, controlprocessor, 39J, selects information of the bits of the meter-monitorformat field in said first message, records said information atSPAM-mm-format register memory, compares the information at said memorywith format-specification information, determines a match with B-formatinformation that invokes process-B-format instructions that causecontrol processor, 39J, to place at said SPAM-mm-format memory aparticular B-offset-address number that is different from theaforementioned A-offset-address number and that specifies the RAMaddress/location of the first bit of information that identifies thespecific format of the meter-monitor segment in said second message.

Then said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to execute the aforementioned locate-program-unitinstructions and locate the program unit field in the meter-monitorinformation of said second message in the same fashion that applied inthe case of the first message. Automatically, controller, 39J, adds theaforementioned program-unit-field-start-datum-location number toinformation of said B-offset-address number and records the resultingfirst sum then adds the aforementionedprogram-unit-field-length-datum-location number to information of saidB-offset-address number and records the resulting second sum. Next saidinstructions cause control processor, 39J, to select information of thestarting bit location of said program unit field which information isthe number of bit locations from the first bit location at saidSPAM-input-signal memory to the first bit location of said field.Automatically, control processor, 39J, places said information atfirst-working register memory then selects second information of thelength of said program unit field in contiguous bit locations and placessaid second information at second-working register memory.Automatically, control processor, 39J, selects binary information of thesecond-working memory information number of contiguous bit locations atsaid SPAM-input-signal memory that begin at the first-working memoryinformation number of bit locations after the first bit location at saidmemory. Automatically, control processor, 39J, places said binaryinformation at said first-working memory. In so doing, controlprocessor, 39J, places at said memory information of the unique “programunit identification code” that identifies the program unit of said “WallStreet Week” program. Then said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructionscause control processor, 39J, to compare the information at saidfirst-working memory to the information at the aforementionedSPAM-first-precondition register memory (which is the same unique code).A match results (which indicates that control processor, 39J, executedthe aforementioned load-run-and-code instructions under control of thefirst message.) Said match causes control processor, 39J, to continueexecuting said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions.

(As described in the case of the second message of example #1, at anysubscriber station where information at first-working register memoryfails to match information at SPAM-first-precondition register memory,said failing to match causes the control processor, 39J, of said stationto clear all SPAM information from main and video RAMs of themicrocomputers, 205, of said stations and, themselves, to discard allinformation of said second message and commence waiting for the binaryinformation of a subsequent SPAM header.)

Next said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to execute the aforementioned locate-overlay-numberinstructions and locate the overlay number field in said meter-monitorinformation in the same fashion that the information of the program unitfield is located. Said locate-overlay-number instructions causecontroller, 39J, to add a particular preprogrammedoverlay-number-field-start-datum-location number (that is different fromthe aforementioned program-unit-field-start-datum-location number) toinformation of said B-offset-address number and record the resultingfirst sum then add a particular preprogrammedoverlay-number-field-length-datum-location number to information of saidB-offset-address number and record the resulting second sum. Next saidinstructions cause control processor, 39J, to select preprogrammedbinary information of the aforementioned datum-cell-length number ofcontiguous bit locations that begin at said first sum number of bitlocations after the aforementioned first-bit location at said RAM andplace said binary information at first-working register memory and toselect preprogrammed binary information of said datum-cell-length numberof contiguous bit locations that begin at said second sum number oflocations after said first-bit location and place said binaryinformation at second-working register memory. In so doing, controlprocessor, 39J, places at said first-working memory information of thebit distance from the first bit location of said SPAM-input-signalmemory to the first bit location of said overlay number field and placesat said second-working memory information of the number of contiguousbit locations in said overlay number field. Automatically, controlprocessor, 39J, selects binary information of the second-working memoryinformation number of contiguous bit locations at said SPAM-input-signalmemory that begin at the first-working memory information number of bitlocations after the first bit location at said memory. Automatically,control processor, 39J, places said binary information at saidfirst-working memory (thereby overwriting and obliterating theinformation previously there). In so doing, control processor, 39J,selects from the information at said SPAM-input-signal memory andrecords at said first-working memory the information of said overlaynumber field. (After the information of said overlay field is placed atsaid memory, the information at said memory is “00000001”.)

Then said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to compare the information at said first-working memoryto the “00000001” information at the aforementionedSPAM-second-precondition register memory. A match results (indicatingthat microcomputer, 205, has completed placing appropriate FIG. 1A imageinformation at video RAM).

(As described in the case of the second message of example #1, at anysubscriber station where information at first-working register memoryfails to match information at SPAM-second-precondition memory, thecontrol processor, 39J, of said station interrupts the operation of theCPU of said microcomputer, 205, in an interrupt fashion well known inthe art, and causes said microcomputer, 205, to restore efficientoperation in a fashion described more fully below.)

At the subscriber station of FIG. 3 (and at URS microcomputers, 205, atother subscriber stations where information at first-working memorymatches information at SPAM-second-precondition memory), said matchcauses control processor, 39J, to cause matrix switch, 39I, to ceasetransferring information from EOFS valve, 39F, to control processor,39J, and commence transferring information from control processor, 39J,to the PC-MicroKey System of microcomputer, 205; to transmit theinstruction, “GRAPHICS ON”, to said PC-MicroKey System; and to completesaid conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions, the controlled functionsof the second combining synch command, and the controlled functions ofsaid second message.

At the subscriber station of FIG. 3 (and at URS microcomputers, 205, atother subscriber stations), said instruction, “GRAPHICS ON”, causes saidPC-MicroKey System to combine the programming of FIG. 1A and of FIG. 1Band transmit the combined programming to monitor, 202M, where FIG. 1C isdisplayed.

Automatically, the preprogrammed instructions that control controlprocessor, 39J, cause said processor, 39J, to prepare to receive thenext SPAM message. Automatically, control processor, 39J, determines, ina predetermined fashion, that EOFS valve, 39F, is the primary input tocontrol processor, 39J, of SPAM message information; causes matrixswitch, 39I, to commence transferring information from EOFS valve, 39F,to control processor, 39J; determines that the information at saidSPAM-header memory does not match the aforementionedcause-retention-of-exec information that is “01”.

Then, being preprogrammed to collect monitor information, controlprocessor, 39J, automatically compares the information at saidSPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory with particular preprogrammed “0”information. A match results. Said match causes control processor, 39J,to execute particular ones of its preprogrammedcollect-monitor-information instructions. Under control of said ones,control processor, 39J, transfers to the buffer/comparator, 14, ofsignal processor, 200, header information that identifies a transmissionof monitor information then the aforementioned decoder-203 source markinformation then all of the received binary information of said secondmessage that is recorded at said SPAM-input-signal memory. (Saidinformation is complete information of the second combining synchcommand, and said information transmitted to buffer/comparator, 14, iscalled, hereinafter, the “2nd monitor information (#3).”) Then controlprocessor, 39J, enters “1” at said SPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory,completes said collect-monitor-info instructions, and continues theconventional preprogrammed instructions of said control processor, 39J.

Automatically control processor, 39J, deletes from memory allinformation of said second message and commences waiting to receive thebinary information of a subsequent SPAM header from matrix switch, 39I.

At signal processor, 200, receiving said 2nd monitor information (#3)causes buffer/comparator, 14, to determine that the header information,in said 2nd monitor information (#3), that identifies a transmission ofmonitor information matches the aforementionedmonitored-instruction-fulfilled-identification information which causesbuffer/comparator, 14, to input said 2nd monitor information (#3) toonboard controller, 14A.

Receiving said 2nd monitor information (#3) causes onboard controller,14A, to record the source mark information in said 2nd monitorinformation (#3) at source-mark-@14A register memory; to record, atparticular SPAM-input-signal-@14A register memory, all of the receivedbinary information of said first message that was recorded at theaforementioned SPAM-input-signal memory of controller, 39J; and toexecute the aforementioned process-monitor-info instructions. Saidinstructions cause onboard controller, 14A, to compare the informationat said source-mark-@14A memory with the aforementionedsource-identification information. A match results with theaforementioned decoder-203 source mark information. Said match causesonboard controller, 14A, to locate the instance of “program unitidentification code” information at said SPAM-input-signal-@14A registermemory, in the fashion described above; to locate the instance of“program unit identification code” information in the aforementioned newmonitor record; and to compare said first named instance to said secondnamed instance. A match results. Under control of saidprocess-monitor-info instructions, said match causes onboard controller,14A, to record date and time information, received from clock, 18, atthe aforementioned last particular time field of said new monitor recordand, in a predetermined fashion, to compare the meter-monitor formatfield at said SPAM-input-signal-@14A register memory to theaforementioned record format field associated with said monitor record.No match results which indicates that said 2nd monitor information (#3)contains new information. Not resulting in a match causes onboardcontroller, 14A, in a predetermined fashion, to evaluate said newinformation and modify the information content of said new monitorrecord by adding and/or deleting and/or replacing information. Oneelement of information modified at said new monitor record is saidrecord format information which is replaced with new record formatinformation that specifies the format in which the information of saidnew record is organized. Finally, said process-monitor-info instructionscause onboard controller, 14A, to discard all unrecorded information ofsaid 2nd monitor information (#3) and commence waiting for the nextinputted instance of monitor information.

The new information content of the 2nd monitor information (#3) causescontroller, 20, to modify the information of said new monitor record ina particular fashion. The command meter-monitor segment information ofthe minute of the particular transmission within a particular one monthperiod provides new information. By comparing said information with dateand time information from clock, 18, in a predetermined fashion,controller, 20, determines whether said “Wall Street Week” programmingis being displayed at the time of its original transmission or whetherit has been so-called “time shifted”; that is, recorded at one time an areceiver station video tape recorder and played back at a subsequenttime. If controller, 20, determines that the time of clock, 18, is thetime of original transmission (plus or minus particular error parameterinformation), controller, 20, deletes the information of the day of theparticular transmission within a one hundred year period from saidmonitor record, modifies the record format field with information thatdistinguishes said new record as a record of a display of an originaltransmission, and enters all other recorded information of said newmonitor record into the particular fields of said format. If controller,20, determines that the original transmission has been time shifted,controller, 20, modifies the record format field with information thatdistinguishes said new record as a record of a time shifted display,enters all previously recorded information within the proper fields ofsaid format, and records the new information of the minute of theparticular transmission within a particular one month period.

The particular overlay information of the command meter-monitor segmentof the 2nd monitor information (#3) also provides new information.Controller, 20, uses said particular overlay information in severalfashions. It records in a particular field of said new monitor record acount, starting with “1” for said first overlay, of the number ofoverlays processed in the course of said program unit. It increments byone a separate monitor record count of the aggregate number of overlaysdisplayed at monitor, 202M, over a particular calendar month period. Andit increments by one a separate monitor record count of the aggregatenumber of combinings processed by all receiver station apparatus over aparticular time period.

Operating S. P. Systems . . . Example #3 (Third Message)

Subsequently, the embedded information of the third message of the “WallStreet Week” program is inputted to decoder, 203. Just as with theinformation of the first and second messages, receiving the embeddedinformation of said third message causes the SPAM information of saidmessage to be detected at detector, 34, and inputted to controller, 39,at buffer, 39A; checked and corrected, as necessary, at processor, 39B;converted into locally usable binary information at processor, 39D; andprocessed for end of file signal information at EOFS valve, 39F.

When EOFS valve, 39F, commences transferring the SPAM information ofsaid third message, control processor, 39J, automatically accepts thesmallest number of signal words that can contain one instance of headerinformation, records the information of said words in sequence atSPAM-input-signal register memory, then ceases accepting SPAM signalinformation transferred from EOFS valve, 39F. Automatically, controlprocessor, 39J, selects information of the first H bits at saidSPAM-input-signal memory, records said information of H bits atSPAM-header memory, and compares the information at said SPAM-headermemory to the aforementioned 11-header-invoking information that is“11”. No match results.

Not resulting in a match causes control processor, 39J, first, toexecute evaluate-message-content instructions then to receive andprocess the execution segment information in said third message.Automatically, control processor, 39J, compares the information at saidSPAM-header memory with preprogrammed invoke-monitor-processinginformation. No match results which signifies the absence ofmeter-monitor information in said third message. Accordingly, theinformation at said SPAM-Flag-monitor-info register memory remains “1”.Then control processor, 39J, recommences accepting additional SPAMsignal words from EOFS valve, 39F; receives and records additional wordsat said SPAM-input-signal memory, in sequence after the informationalready there, until the total quantity of SPAM signal words recorded atsaid memory equals the smallest number of signal words that can containone instance of header and execution segment information; then ceasesaccepting SPAM signal information from EOFS valve, 39F. Automatically,control processor, 39J, selects information of the first X bits ofinformation at said SPAM-input-signal memory immediately after the firstH bits, records said information of X bits at said SPAM-exec memory, andcompares the information at said SPAM-exec memory withcontrolled-function-invoking information that is preprogrammed at theRAM and/or ROM associated with said processor, 39J. A match results withthe aforementioned cease-overlay information causing control processor,39J, to execute the aforementioned cease-overlaying-at-205 instructions.

Automatically, said instructions cause control processor, 39J, to causematrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring information from EOFS valve,39F, to control processor, 39J, and commence transferring informationfrom control processor, 39J, to the PC-MicroKey System of microcomputer,205; to transmit the instruction, “GRAPHICS OFF”, to said PC-MicroKeySystem; to cause matrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring informationfrom control processor, 39J, to said PC-MicroKey System and commencetransferring information from control processor, 39J, to the CPU ofmicrocomputer, 205; then to transmit the aforementionedclear-and-continue instruction (the function of which is described morefully below) to said CPU; and finally, to cause matrix switch, 39I, tocease transferring information from control processor, 39J, to said CPU.In so doing, control processor, 39J, completes saidcease-overlaying-at-205 instructions.

At the subscriber station of FIG. 3 (and at URS microcomputers, 205, atother subscriber stations), said instruction, “GRAPHICS OFF”, causessaid PC-MicroKey System to cease combining the programming of FIG. 1Aand of FIG. 1B and commence transmitting to monitor, 202M, only thecomposite video programming received from divider, 4, (which causesmonitor, 202M, to commence displaying only said video programming). Andsaid clear-and-continue instruction causes microcomputer, 205, tocommence processing in a predetermined fashion (which fashion may bedetermined by the aforementioned program instruction set).

Having completed the controlled functions of said third message, theconventional control instructions that control control processor, 39J,cause said processor, 39J to prepare to receive the next instance ofSPAM message information in the following fashion.

Automatically, control processor, 39J, determines, in a predeterminedfashion, that EOFS valve, 39F, is the primary input to controlprocessor, 39J, of SPAM message information; causes matrix switch, 39I,to commence transferring information from EOFS valve, 39F, to controlprocessor, 39J; determines that the information at said SPAM-headermemory does not match said cause-retention-of-exec information that is“01”; then, being preprogrammed to collect monitor information, comparesthe information at said SPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory with particularpreprogrammed “0” information. No match results, and receiving saidthird message does not cause control processor, 39J, to transmit monitorinformation to buffer/comparator, 14, of signal processor, 200.Automatically, control processor, 39J, completes saidcollect-monitor-info instructions and continues the conventionalpreprogrammed instructions of said control processor, 39J.

Automatically control processor, 39J, deletes from memory allinformation of said third message, but in so doing, control processor,39J, may perform particular functions that are not performed in deletingfrom memory information of the first and second messages. Controlprocessor, 39J, has received all command information in said thirdmessage but may not have received all padding bits. If the commandinformation in the smallest number of signal words that can contain oneinstance of header and execution segment information fills a wholenumber of signal words exactly, the last signal word of said commandinformation may contain no MOVE bits and be followed by one full signalword of padding bits. To ensure that all padding bits of said thirdmessage are transferred from EOFS valve, 39F, control processor, 39J, ispreprogrammed with particular additional conventional instructions ifH+X fills a whole number of signal words exactly. Before information ofsaid third message at said SPAM-header memory is deleted, saidparticular instructions cause control processor, 39J, to compare saidinformation to particular preprogrammed “10” information. A matchresults which causes control processor, 39J, under control of saidparticular, instructions, to compare the last signal word of informationat said SPAM-input-signal memory to information of one EOFS WORD; toreceive one additional signal word from EOFS valve, 39F, if said lastword matches said information of one EOFS WORD; then to cease acceptingSPAM signal information from EOFS valve, 39F. In this fashion, controlprocessor, 39J, ensures automatically that the next signal word to betransferred by said valve, 39F, will be the first word of the nextmessage embedded in the “Wall Street Week” programming transmissionafter said third message.

Then, having deleted from memory all information of said third message,automatically control processor, 39J, commences waiting to receive thebinary information of a subsequent SPAM header from matrix switch, 39I.

Operating Signal Processor Systems . . . Example #4

In example #4, the first and second messages are both partiallyencrypted, and the combining of FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B information occursonly at selected subscriber stations where the information of saidmessages causes decrypting and collecting of meter information as wellas combining. In addition, the information of said messages also causesthe collecting of monitor information at selected ones of said selectedstations which selected ones are preprogrammed to collect monitorinformation in the fashion of example #3. In example #4, all appropriateapparatus of the subscriber station of FIG. 3 are preprogrammed tocollect monitor information, and buffer/comparator, 14, operates undercontrol of the aforementioned on-board controller, 14A, in fashionselaborated on below.

Example #4 elaborates on the process of monitor information collectionin one particular respect. The second message of example #2 causesparticular monitor information to be recorded at those particularstations, preprogrammed to collect monitor information, wheremicrocomputers, 205, fail to satisfy either condition of the invokedconditional-overlay-at-205 instructions. Thus the monitor informationcollected in example #4 documents not only what programming is displayedat the subscriber station monitors, 202M, of the present invention butalso the efficiency of the operation of the system of subscriber stationmicrocomputers, 205. Said monitor information also provides statisticson those particular subscriber stations that tune to and process theprogramming of said “Wall Street Week” program but cannot display FIG.1C combined medium image information because said particular stationsare preprogrammed with decryption key information of J but not of Z.Such statistics enable programming suppliers to evaluate theirstrategies for marketing and pricing programming.

In example #4, before the first message is embedded at the “Wall StreetWeek” program originating studio and transmitted, all information of theexecution segment, the meter-monitor segment, and the programinstruction set in the information segment are encrypted, using standardencryption techniques that encrypt binary information without alteringthe number of bits in said information. However, the cadence informationof said message remains unencrypted. More precisely, the “01” header,any padding bits added at the end of the information segment, and theend of file signal that ends said message remain unencrypted. (Thelength token and any padding bits at the end of the command informationin a message that ends with an end of file signal are not, strictlyspeaking, cadence information because they provide no information as tothe location of the header that follows such a message.) Like the secondmessage of example #2, the first message of example #4 is only partiallyencrypted in order to enable subscriber stations that lack capacity todecrypt said message to process accurately the cadence information ofsaid message.

In example #4, the encryption of the execution segment of said firstmessage is done in such a fashion that, after encryption, said segmentis identical to a particular execution segment that addresses URS signalprocessors, 200, and instructs said processors, 200, to use a particulardecryption key Z (different from the decryption key J that decrypted thesecond message of example #2) and decrypt the message in which saidsegment occurs.

Because said first message is encrypted, its meter-monitor segmentcontains a seventh field: a meter instruction field. Accordingly, thelength of said first message, the number of bits in its meter-monitorsegment, the information of the meter-monitor format field, and thenumeric value of MMS-L is greater in example #4 than in example #1 andexample 3.

As described above in “One Combined Medium,” before any messages of the“Wall Street Week” programming are transmitted, control invokinginstructions are embedded at said program originating studio andtransmitted to all subscriber stations. Among said instructions areparticular instructions, cited in example #2, that set PC-MicroKey Model1300 Systems to the “Graphics Off” mode, and also instructions thatcommand URS microcomputers, 205, to clear all RAM (except RAM containingoperating system information). In addition (and not described in “OneCombined Medium”), said instructions also include particularinstructions that cause information of zero to be placed at theaforementioned SPAM-first-precondition and SPAM-second-preconditionregister memories. Accordingly, at the outset of example #4, noPC-MicroKey 1300 is in “Graphics On” mode; no microcomputer, 205,contains any image information at video RAM; and no “program unitidentification code” information exists at the SPAM-first-preconditionregister memory of any control processor, 39J.

At the outset of example #4, information of “1” is at each of theaforementioned SPAM-Flag-monitor-info,SPAM-Flag-at-secondary-control-level,SPAM-Flag-executing-secondary-command,SPAM-Flag-secondary-level-incomplete,SPAM-Flag-primary-level-2nd-step-incomplete,SPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete,SPAM-Flag-secondary-level-2nd-step-incomplete,SPAM-Flag-secondary-level-3rd-step-incomplete,SPAM-Flag-first-condition-failed, SPAM-Flag-second-condition-failed, andSPAM-Flag-do-not-meter register memories, and matrix switch, 39I isconfigured to transfer SPAM message information from EOFS valve, 39F, tocontrol processor, 39J.

Example #4 begins, like example #3, with divider, 4, transferring theembedded information of said first message to decoder, 203. In the samefashion that applied in example #3, receiving said embedded informationat decoder, 203, causes the binary SPAM information of said firstmessage to be received, with error correcting information, at decoder,203; detected at detector, 34; inputted to controller, 39, at buffer,39A; checked and corrected, as necessary, at processor, 39B; convertedinto locally usable binary information at processor, 39D; and processedfor end of file signal information at EOFS valve, 39F.

Receiving said first message causes the apparatus of the station of FIG.3, in the following fashion, to decrypt the encrypted portions of saidmessage; to execute the controlled functions of the decryptedinformation of said message; to collect meter information and monitorinformation relating to said message; and in the fashion described morefully below in “Operating Signal Processing Systems . . . Signal RecordTransfer,” to transfer meter information and monitor information to oneor more remote processing stations, causing said stations to processsaid information.

When EOFS valve, 39F, commences transferring the SPAM messageinformation of said first message, control processor, 39J, automaticallyaccepts the smallest number of signal words that can contain H bits;records the information of said words at SPAM-input-signal registermemory; ceases accepting SPAM message information from EOFS valve, 39F;selects information of the first H bits at said SPAM-input-signalmemory; records said information at SPAM-header memory; and compares theinformation recorded at said memory to the aforementioned11-header-invoking information that is “11”. No match results.

Not resulting in a match causes control processor, 39J, first, toexecute the aforementioned evaluate-message-content instructions(because the stations of FIG. 3 is preprogrammed to collect monitorinformation) then to receive and process the execution segmentinformation in said first message. Automatically, control processor,39J, compares the information at said SPAM-header memory withpreprogrammed invoke-monitor-processing information. A match resultswith particular “01” information. Said match signifies the presence ofmeter-monitor information (albeit encrypted) in said first message andcauses control processor, 39J, to enter “0” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-monitor-info register memory. Then control processor, 39J,recommences accepting additional SPAM signal words from EOFS valve, 39F;receives and records said words at said SPAM-input-signal memory, insequence after the information already there, until the total quantityof SPAM signal words recorded at said memory equals the smallest numberof signal words that can contain H+X bits; ceases accepting SPAM signalinformation from EOFS valve, 39F; selects information of the first Xbits of information at said SPAM-input-signal memory immediately afterthe first H bits; records said information at said SPAM-exec memory, andcompares the information at said memory with the aforementionedcontrolled-function-invoking information. A match results withparticular preprogrammed this-message-addressed-to-200 information.

In examples #1 and #2, whenever controller, 39, determined matches witheither this-message-addressed-to-205 information orthis-message-addressed-to-200 information, controller, 39, transferredthe entire message containing the identified information to theaddressed apparatus. But in the preferred embodiment, controller, 39,may be preprogrammed to transfer, by control information transmissionmeans, only particular information of any given message that containsthis-message-addressed-to-200 information. The first and second messagesof example #4 illustrate instances of such transferring.

Said match with this-message-addressed-to-200 information causes controlprocessor, 39J, automatically to execute particular preprogrammedtransfer-header-and-exec-seg-info-to-200 instructions. Automatically,said instructions cause control processor, 39J, to transfer tocontroller, 20, of signal processor, 200, via control informationtransmission means, an interrupt signal that interrupts the operation ofsaid controller, 20, in a fashion well known in the art, then particularprocess-this-message information then particular at-39J information thatidentifies control processor, 39J, as the source of the transmission ofsaid process-this-message information then information of the header andexecution segment of said first message (that is, information of theinformation recorded at said SPAM-header and SPAM-exec memories).

Receiving said interrupt signal and information causes controller, 20,to compare the information of said execution segment to theaforementioned controlled-function-invoking-@200 information anddetermine a match with particular decrypt-with-key-Z information thatinstructs controller, 20, to cause the decryption of the received binarysignal information of said first message with decryption key Z.

(At subscriber stations whose URS signal processors, 200, are notpreprogrammed with information of said key Z, the information of saidexecution segment fails to match any controlled-function-invoking-@200information. Automatically, failing to match causes the controllers, 20,of said stations to cause the control processors, 39J, of said stationsto discard all information of said first message by causing matrixswitch, 39I, to transfer all information inputted from EOFS valve, 39F,to its null output; then causing EOFS valve, 39F, to transfer allreceived SPAM information until an end of file signal is detected; then,after said signal is detected, causing said valve, 39F, to discard itsrecorded information of said end of file signal; causing matrix switch,39I, to commence transferring all information inputted from EOFS valve,39F, to control processor, 39J; and, itself, deleting all recordedinformation of said message and commencing to wait for inputtedinformation of a SPAM header.)

However, the subscriber station of FIG. 3 is preprogrammed with allinformation needed to decrypt said first message. The aforementionedat-39J information and match with decrypt-with-key-Z information causecontroller, 20, to execute particular preprogrammeddecrypt-with-Z-at-39K instructions. Said instructions cause controller,20, to select particular preprogrammed key information of Z and transfersaid key information to decryptor, 39K, of controller, 39. Then saiddecrypt-with-Z-at-39K instructions cause controller, 20, to compare saidinformation of the header transferred from control processor, 39J, toparticular preprogrammed header-identification-@200 information and todetermine that said information of the header matches particular “01”header information. Said match causes controller, 20, automatically totransmit a particular decrypt-in-a-01-or-11-header-message-fashioninstruction to decryptor, 39K.

Receiving said key information and said last named instruction causesdecryptor, 39K, to commence using said key information as its key fordecryption and decrypting inputted information in a predetermined01-or-11-header-message fashion that is described more fully below.

Then said decrypt-with-Z-at-39K instructions cause controller, 20, totransmit to control processor, 39J, a particulardecrypt-process-and-meter-a-01-or-11-header-message instruction andparticular decryption mark information of key Z that identifies Z as thedecryption key. Receiving said instruction and mark information causescontrol processor, 39J, to record said mark information at theaforementioned SPAM-decryption-mark register memory, to enter “1” at theaforementioned SPAM-Flag-monitor-info register memory because anymeter-monitor information in the SPAM message being processed isencrypted, then to execute particular preprogrammeddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instructions.

Said instructions cause control processor, 39J, first, to identify EOFSvalve, 39F, in a predetermined fashion, as the primary source of inputSPAM message information; to place particular from-39F information atthe aforementioned SPAM-primary-input-source register memory; and toplace information of a particular reentry-address at the aforementionedSPAM-address-of-next-instruction-upon-primary-interrupt register memorywhich reentry-address specifies the location of the nextdecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instruction tobe executed when interrupt information of end of file signal detectedinformation is next received by control processor, 39J, from saidprimary source of input SPAM message information, EOFS valve, 39F.

Then said instructions cause control processor, 39J, to transfer todecryptor, 39K, the SPAM message associated with the particularinformation at the SPAM-header memory of control processor, 39J.Automatically, said instructions cause control processor, 39J, to causematrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring information from EOFS valve,39F, to control processor, 39J, and commence transferring informationfrom control processor, 39J, to decryptor, 39K. Then said instructionscause control processor, 39J, to transfer all SPAM message informationrecorded at said SPAM-input-signal memory of control processor, 39J.Said information is all the information of said first message that EOFSvalve, 39F, has already transferred. Automatically, decryptor, 39K,commences receiving SPAM signal information. Then said instructionscause control processor, 39J, to cause matrix switch, 39I, to ceasetransferring information from control processor, 39J, to decryptor, 39K,and to commence transferring SPAM message information from EOFS valve,39F, to decryptor, 39K. As decryptor, 39K, then accepts transferredinformation from matrix switch, 39I, automatically EOFS valve, 39F,commences transferring SPAM signal information, beginning with the firstsignal word of said first message that is immediately after theinformation of said first message that EOFS valve, 39F, has alreadytransferred. In this fashion, control processor, 39J, causes allinformation of said first message to be transferred to decryptor, 39K.

Then said decrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-messageinstructions cause control processor, 39J, to prepare to receive thedecrypted information of said first message and to execute, at asecondary control level under primary control of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instructions,the controlled functions invoked by said decrypted information. Undercontrol of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instructions,control processor, 39J, places information of a particularreentry-address at the aforementionedSPAM-next-primary-instruction-address register memory whichreentry-address specifies the location of the nextdecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instruction tobe executed when control of control processor, 39J, reverts from thesecondary control level to the primary control level; places informationof “0” at the aforementioned SPAM-Flag-primary-level-2nd-step-incompleteregister memory and, separately, atSPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete register memory whichinformation signifies that specific primary level functions have notbeen completed; places information of “0” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-secondary-level-incomplete register memory that is normally“1” which information signifies that secondary control level functionshave not been completed; compares the information at said SPAM-headermemory to cause-retention-of-exec information that is “01” and placesinformation of said information at SPAM-exec register memory at saidSPAM-last-01-header-exec register memory because a match results;compares the information at said SPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory withparticular preprogrammed “0” information and skips all steps ofcollecting monitor information because no match results; causes allapparatus of control processor, 39J, to delete from memory allinformation of said first message except information at saidSPAM-last-01-header-exec, SPAM-decryption-mark,SPAM-Flag-at-secondary-control-level,SPAM-Flag-primary-level-2nd-step-incomplete,SPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete, SPAM-primary-input-source,SPAM-next-primary-instruction-address register memories; placesparticular from-39H information at the aforementionedSPAM-secondary-input-source register memory that identifies EOFS valve,39H, as the secondary level source of input SPAM message information;causes matrix switch, 39I, to commence transferring SPAM messageinformation from EOFS valve, 39H to control processor, 39J; placesinformation of “0” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-executing-secondary-command register memory which informationsignifies that information placed subsequently at SPAM-exec registermemory is secondary command level information; places information of “0”at the aforementioned SPAM-Flag-at-secondary-level register memory thatis normally “1” which information signifies that control functions arebeing executed at said secondary level; and commences waiting to receiveinformation of a subsequent SPAM header from said switch, 39I.

As decryptor, 39K, receives SPAM message information from matrix switch,39I, decryptor, 39K, decrypts said information, using decryption key Z,in the aforementioned 01-or-11-header-message fashion and transfers thedecrypted information to buffer, 39G. The aforementioneddecrypt-in-a-01-or-11-header-message-fashion instruction causesdecryptor, 39K, to transfer the first H bits received from matrixswitch, 39I, without decrypting or altering said bits in any fashionthen to decrypt and transfer all information following said first Hbits. In this fashion, the cadence information of the header in saidfirst message, which is not encrypted, is transferred by decryptor, 39K,to buffer, 39G, without alteration.

As buffer, 39G, receives said decrypted information, buffer, 39G,buffers said information and transfers it to EOFS valve, 39H. EOFSvalve, 39H, checks said information for end of file signal information,in its preprogrammed end of file signal detection fashion, and transfersinformation that is not end of file signal, via matrix switch, 39I, tocontrol processor, 39J, as fast as control processor, 39J, is preparedto receive said information.

Having been decrypted, said information is identical to the binaryinformation of the first message of example #3 (except that themeter-monitor information contains the aforementioned meter instructioninformation that is not in example #3 and the information of themeter-monitor format field reflects the presence of said instructioninformation). Accordingly, receiving the decrypted information of thefirst message of example #4 from EOFS valve, 39H, causes controlprocessor, 39J, to function, at the aforementioned secondary controllevel, in fashions that are identical (except as concerns the processingof the meter-monitor information) to the fashions invoked, at theprimary control level, by receiving the information of the first messageof example #3 from EOFS valve, 39F.

When EOFS valve, 39H, commences transferring the decrypted SPAMinformation of the first message of example #4, control processor, 39J,receives the smallest number of signal words that can contain H bits,records information said words in sequence at SPAM-input-signal memory,selects information of the first H bits at said memory, records saidinformation at SPAM-header memory, and determines that the informationat said memory does not match the aforementioned 11-header-invokinginformation.

Not resulting in a match causes control processor, 39J, automatically tocompare the information at said SPAM-header memory with theaforementioned invoke-monitor-processing information, determine a match,and enter “0” at SPAM-Flag-monitor-info register memory.

Automatically, control processor, 39J, then receives additional SPAMsignal words; records information of said words at saidSPAM-input-signal memory in sequence immediately following the signalword information already recorded at said memory until the totalquantity of SPAM signal words recorded at said memory is the smallestnumber of signal words that can contain H+X bits; selects information ofthe first X bits of information at said memory immediately after thefirst H bits, records said selected information at SPAM-exec memory,compares the information at said last named memory withcontrolled-function-invoking information, and determines a match withthe aforementioned execute-at-205 information.

Said match causes control processor, 39J, to execute the aforementionedload-run-and-code instructions. Said instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to determine that the information at saidSPAM-Flag-at-secondary-level register memory is “0” which causes saidprocessor, 39J, to place “0” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-secondary-level-2nd-step-incomplete register memory and,separately, at SPAM-Flag-secondary-level-3rd-step-incomplete registermemory (rather than SPAM-Flag-primary-level-2nd-step-incomplete andSPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete memories) and to placeinformation of a particular reentry-address at the aforementionedSPAM-address-of-next-instruction-upon-secondary-interrupt registermemory (rather thanSPAM-address-of-next-instruction-upon-primary-interrupt memory). Thensaid instructions cause control processor, 39J, to compare theinformation at said SPAM-header memory with header-identificationinformation and determine a match with “01” information.

Said match causes control processor, 39J, to receive all remainingcommand information and padding bits in said first message in thefashion that applies to a SPAM message that contains meter-monitorinformation. Automatically, control processor, 39J, receives andprocesses decrypted length token information. Automatically, controlprocessor, 39J, receives and records additional SPAM signal words atsaid SPAM-input-signal memory until the quantity of SPAM words recordedat said memory is the smallest number of words that can contain H+X+Lbits, selects information of the first L bits of information at saidmemory immediately after the first H+X bits, records said information atSPAM-length-info memory, determines that the information at said lastnamed memory matches Z-token information, selects z-bits informationassociated with said Z-token information, records said z-bitsinformation at said SPAM-length-info memory (thereby overwriting andobliterating the information previously at said memory), and processesthe information at said memory as the numeric value of MMS-L.Automatically, control processor, 39J, adds H+X+L to the information ofz-bits at said memory, divides the information of the resulting sum bythe number of bits in one signal word, places a “0” at particularSPAM-Flag-working register memory if the information of the resultingquotient is a whole number or “1” at said SPAM-Flag-working memory if itis not. Automatically, control processor, 39J, determines a particularnumber of signal words to receive, commences receiving additional SPAMsignal words, and records said words in sequence at saidSPAM-input-signal memory immediately following the last SPAM signal wordpreviously recorded at said memory until the total quantity of SPAMsignal words recorded at said memory equals the number at said workingregister memory. Then, if the information at said SPAM-Flag-workingregister memory is “0”, control processor, 39J, ceases accepting SPAMsignal information. Or, if the information at said SPAM-Flag-workingregister memory is not “0”, control processor, 39J, receives oneadditional signal word, compares the information of said word toinformation of one EOFS WORD, records said word at saidSPAM-input-signal memory immediately following the last SPAM signal wordrecorded at said memory, receives one more SPAM signal word and recordsthe information of said word at said SPAM-input-signal memoryimmediately following the last SPAM signal word recorded at said memoryif said one additional signal word has matched said EOFS WORDinformation, and ceases accepting SPAM signal information.

When control processor, 39J, ceases accepting SPAM signal information,said load-run-and-code instructions cause control processor, 39J, tocommence loading information at the main RAM of microcomputer, 205.Automatically, control processor, 39J, causes matrix switch, 39I, tocease transferring information from EOFS valve, 39H, to controlprocessor, 39J, and commence transferring information from controlprocessor, 39J, to the CPU of microcomputer, 205; instructs said CPU tocommence receiving information from matrix switch, 39I, and loading saidinformation at particular main RAM; and causes matrix switch, 39I, tocease transferring information from control processor, 39J, to said CPUand commence transferring information from EOFS valve, 39H, to said CPU.Automatically, microcomputer, 205, commences receiving the information,beginning with the first signal word at EOFS valve, 39H, which is thedecrypted information of the first word of the program instruction setin said first message. Automatically, microcomputer, 205, loads thereceived information at particular main RAM in a fashion well known inthe art.

Then said load-run-and-code instructions cause control processor, 39J,to execute the code portion of said instructions. In the same fashionthat that applied in example #3, the instructions of said portion causecontrol processor, 39J, to determine that said first message containsmeter-monitor information, to locate the “program unit identificationcode” information in the information at said SPAM-input-signal memory,and to record information of said “code” information atSPAM-first-precondition register memory. Said instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to select information of bits of the meter-monitorformat field at said SPAM-input-signal memory, to record saidinformation at SPAM-mm-format memory, to compare the information at saidmemory with the aforementioned format-specification information, todetermine a match with C-format information, and to execute particularpreprogrammed process-C-format instructions. Automatically, said lastnamed instructions cause control processor, 39J, to place a particularC-offset-address number at SPAM-mm-format memory that identifies theaddress/location of the first bit of C format information. Then saidinstructions of the code portion cause control processor, 39J, toexecute the aforementioned said locate-program-unit instructions; toselect binary information of particular bit locations at saidSPAM-input-signal memory, using the information of said C-offset-addressnumber; and to place said selected information at saidSPAM-first-precondition memory. Finally, said instructions of the codeportion cause control processor, 39J, to determine, in a predeterminedfashion, that control processor, 39J, is operating at secondary controllevel and place “1” at SPAM-Flag-secondary-level-3rd-step-incompleteregister memory (rather than SPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incompletememory) signifying the completion of the code step executed by saidload-run-and-code instructions.

Next said load-run-and-code instructions control processor, 39J, todetermine that the information at said SPAM-Flag-at-secondary-levelregister memory is “0” which signifies that the run portion of saidinstructions remain uncompleted and which causes control processor, 39J,in a predetermined fashion, to commence waiting for interruptinformation of the end of file signal from the EOFS valve that isinputting SPAM signal information to control processor, 39J, which isEOFS valve, 39H.

Whenever the control processor, 39J, of the station of FIG. 3 isinstructed to commence waiting, the conventional instructions thatcontrol said processor, 39J, cause said processor, 39J, to executeparticular steps before actually commencing to wait. Example #3 showedone such step: execution of particular collect-monitor-infoinstructions. In the preferred embodiment, said conventionalinstructions cause control processor, 39J, to execute particularprimary-level-? instructions before executing said collect-monitor-infoinstructions. Said primary-level-? instructions cause control processor,39J, to compare the information at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-at-secondary-control-level memory with particularpreprogrammed “0” information. A match results which means that controlprocessor, 39J, has been instructed to wait at a secondary control leveland instructions may exist at the primary control level that controlprocessor, 39J, should execute before commencing to wait. Accordingly,said match causes control processor, 39J, to place information of aparticular reentry-address at the aforementionedSPAM-next-secondary-instruction-address register memory whichreentry-address is the location of the next instruction to be executedwhen the control of control processor, 39J, reverts from primary controllevel instructions to the secondary level instructions; to place “1” atthe aforementioned SPAM-Flag-at-secondary-control-level memorysignifying that control processor, 39J, is not operating at thesecondary control level; and to commence executing control instructionsbeginning with that instruction whose particular address/location is theaddress/location of the information at the aforementionedSPAM-next-primary-instruction-address memory.

Automatically, the particular ones of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instructionsthat begin at said address/location cause control processor, 39J, toexecute the meter portion of said instructions. Under control of theinstructions of said portion, control processor, 39J, compares theinformation at the aforementioned SPAM-decryption-mark register memoryto particular preprogrammed information of zero. No match results. Notresulting in a match signifies the presence of decryption markinformation and causes control processor, 39J, under control saidinstructions, to cause matrix switch, 39I, to commence transferringinformation from control processor, 39J, to the buffer/comparator, 14,of signal processor, 200; then to transfer header information thatidentifies a transmission of meter information then the aforementioneddecoder-203 source mark information then information of the decryptionmark of key Z information recorded at SPAM-decryption-mark registermemory then all of the received binary information of said first messagethat is recorded at said SPAM-input-signal memory; then to cause matrixswitch, 39I, to cease transferring information from control processor,39J, to said buffer/comparator, 14. (Said received information iscomplete information of the first combining synch command of example #4,and said information that is transmitted to buffer/comparator, 14, iscalled, hereinafter, the “1st meter-monitor information (#4).”) Then theinstructions of said portion cause control processor, 39J, to enter “1”at said SPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory because the information of said1st meter-monitor information (#4) is monitor information as well asmeter information, to enter “1” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete register memory signifyingthe completion of the meter step executed by saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instructions,and to commence waiting for interrupt, information of an end of filesignal.

In due course, EOFS valve, 39F, receives the last signal word of theinformation segment of said first message, which is the last signal wordof said program instruction set. Receiving said word causes EOFS valve,39F, to transfer said word, via matrix switch, 39I, to decryptor, 39K,which causes decryptor, 39K, to decrypt the information of said word andtransfer the decrypted information of said word, via buffer, 39G, toEOFS valve, 39H. If the decrypted information of said word contains MOVEbit information, receiving said information causes EOFS valve, 39H, totransfer said information, via matrix switch, 39I, to the CPU ofmicrocomputer, 205, which causes microcomputer, 205, to load saidinformation at particular main RAM.

Then said valve, 39F, commences receiving information of the eleven EOFSWORDs that constitute the end of file signal at the end of said firstmessage.

Receiving the first EOFS WORD of said eleven causes EOFS valve, 39F, tocease transferring SPAM message information which causes decryptor, 39K,to cease decrypting and causes microcomputer, 205, to cease loadinginformation at main RAM if the decrypted information of the last signalword of the information segment of said first message contains MOVE bitinformation (which MOVE bit information causes EOFS valve, 39H,automatically to transfer inputted information of said word).

Subsequently, in the fashion described in the following twelveparagraphs, receiving the eleventh and last EOFS WORD of said end offile signal causes the apparatus of the subscriber station of FIG. 3 toload decrypted information of the last signal word of the informationsegment of said first message at main RAM if said decrypted informationcontains no MOVE bit information and cease loading; to terminate theprocess of decrypting at decryptor, 39K; to execute the programinstruction set information loaded at said main RAM as a machinelanguage program, thereby causing the events described in the thirteenthparagraph hereinafter (which begins, “As described in “One CombinedMedium” above, running . . . ”); and to commence waiting to receive fromEOFS valve, 39F, the header information of a subsequent SPAM message.

Receiving the eleventh and last EOFS WORD of said end of file signal atEOFS valve, 39F, causes said valve, 39F, to transmit an interrupt signalof EOFS-signal-detected information to control processor, 39J, and tocommence waiting for a control instruction from said processor, 39J.

Receiving said interrupt signal causes control processor, 39J, todetermine, in a predetermined fashion, a match between information thatidentifies the EOFS valve that transmitted said signal and theaforementioned from-39F information at the aforementionedSPAM-primary-input-source register memory. Said match causes controlprocessor, 39J, automatically to execute that particular portion of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instructionsthat begins with the instruction that is located at the particularreentry-address of the reentry-address information at the aforementionedSPAM-address-of-next-instruction-upon-primary-interrupt register memory.Automatically, the instructions of said portion cause control processor,39J, to transmit to controller, 20, of signal processor, 200, viacontrol information transmission means, a particular preprogrammedfirst-EOFS-signal-detected interrupt signal then particularprimary-end-of-file-signal-detected information and one instance of theaforementioned at-39J information. Receiving said interrupt signal ofEOFS-signal-detected information causes control processor, 39J, then tocause matrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring information from EOFSvalve, 39F, to decryptor, 39K.

Receiving first-EOFS-signal-detected said interrupt signal andinformation causes controller, 20, to execute particular ones of theaforementioned decrypt-with-Z-at-39K anddecrypt-a-01-or-11-header-message instructions. Automatically, said onescause controller, 20, to transmit a particular interrogate-message-endinstruction to decryptor, 39K. Said instruction causes decryptor, 39K,in a predetermined fashion and after transferring the aforementioneddecrypted information of the last signal word of the information segmentof said first message, to transmit particular decryption-completeinformation to controller, 20, which information includes particularlast-word information that is the binary image of said decryptedinformation of the last signal word.

Receiving said decryption-complete information causes controller, 20, toexecute particular preprogrammed end-01-or-11-message-decryptioninstructions that cause controller, 20, to compare said last-wordinformation to preprogrammed information of one EOFS WORD. Resulting ina match, under control of said instructions, causes controller, 20,automatically to transmit a particular transmit-padding-bits instructionto decryptor, 39K, that decryptor, 39K, has capacity to respond to in apredetermined fashion, which instruction causes decryptor, 39K, totransfer one signal word of padding bits to buffer, 39G, causing saidbuffer, 39G, automatically to input said word of padding bits to EOFSvalve, 39H. (If the decrypted information of the last signal word of theinformation segment of said first message contains no MOVE bitinformation—in other words, if said word is an EOFS WORD—receiving saidinformation causes EOFS valve, 39H, to transfer previously inputtedinformation of said last word, via matrix switch, 39I, to microcomputer,205, which causes microcomputer, 205, to load said information atparticular main RAM.) Then said end-01-or-11-message-decryptioninstructions cause controller, 20, to cause decryptor, 39K, to discardsaid key information of decryption key Z, to cease decrypting inputtedinformation and to commence transferring all inputted information tobuffer, 39G, without alteration. Next said instructions causecontroller, 20, to transmit a particular preprogrammedtransmit-EOF-Signal-and-continue instruction to control processor, 39J.In so doing, controller, 20, completes saidend-01-or-11-message-decryption instructions, saiddecrypt-a-01-or-11-header-message instructions and saiddecrypt-with-Z-at-39K instructions and commences processing in theconventional fashion.

Receiving said transmit-EOF-Signal-and-continue instruction causescontrol processor, 39J, in a predetermined fashion, to transmit theaforementioned transmit-and-wait instruction to EOFS valve, 39F, then toexecute particular instructions of the process portion of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instructions.Automatically said instructions cause control processor, 39J, to place“0” at the aforementioned SPAM-Flag-at-secondary-control-level memorysignifying that control processor, 39J, is operating at the secondarycontrol level and to commence executing control instructions beginningwith that instruction whose particular address/location is theaddress/location of the information at the aforementionedSPAM-next-secondary-instruction-address memory. Automatically, controlprocessor, 39J, executes particular instructions prior to commencing towait, compares the information at SPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory withparticular preprogrammed “0” information, and no match results. Notresulting in a match causes control processor, 39J, automatically toskip collect-monitor-info instructions and commence waiting forinterrupt information of the end of file signal.

Receiving said transmit-and-wait instruction causes EOFS valve, 39F, totransfer sequentially eleven instances of EOFS WORD information—that is,one complete end of file signal—via switch, 39I, to decryptor, 39K; toset the information at the EOFS WORD Counter of said valve, 39F, tozero; to transmit the aforementioned complete-and-waiting information tosaid control processor, 39J, as an interrupt signal; and to commencewaiting for a control instruction from control processor, 39J, beforeprocessing next inputted information.

Receiving said eleven instances of EOFS WORD information causesdecryptor, 39K, to transfer said information, without alteration, viabuffer, 39G, to EOFS valve, 39H.

Receiving said information—more precisely, receiving the eleventhinstance of an EOFS WORD in said information—causes EOFS valve, 39H, totransmit an interrupt signal of EOFS-signal-detected information tocontrol processor, 39J, and to commence waiting for a controlinstruction from said processor, 39J.

Receiving said interrupt signal causes control processor, 39J, todetermine, in a predetermined fashion, that the EOFS valve thattransmitted said signal is the valve identified by the aforementionedfrom-39H information at the aforementioned SPAM-secondary-input-sourcememory. Said determining causes control processor, 39J, automatically tojump to and execute that particular portion of said load-run-and-codeinstructions that begins with the instruction that is located at theparticular reentry-address of the reentry-address information at theaforementioned SPAM-address-of-next-instruction-upon-secondary-interruptmemory. Said particular portion is the run portion of saidload-run-and-code instructions. Automatically, the instructions of saidportion cause control processor, 39J, to cause matrix switch, 39I, tocease transferring information from EOFS valve, 39H, to the CPU ofmicrocomputer, 205, and to commence transferring information fromcontrol processor, 39J, to said CPU; to transmit a control instructionto said CPU that causes microcomputer, 205, to cease loading informationat said main RAM and execute the information so loaded as so-called“machine executable code” of one so-called “job”; to cause matrixswitch, 39I, to cease transferring information from control processor,39J, to said CPU; then to transmit the aforementioned discard-and-waitinstruction, via control transmission means, to EOFS valve, 39H,(causing said valve, 39H, to set the information at said EOFS WORDCounter to “00000000”, to transmit the aforementionedcomplete-and-waiting information to control processor, 39J, as a secondinterrupt signal, then to commence waiting for a further controlinstruction from control processor, 39J); and finally, to determine thatthe information at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-at-secondary-control-level memory matches particularpreprogrammed “0” information and, accordingly, to place “1” at theaforementioned SPAM-Flag-secondary-level-2nd-step-incomplete memorywhich information indicates that control processor, 39J, has completedthe instructions of said run portion. In so doing, control processor,39J, completes the instructions of said run portion.

Automatically said load-run-and-code instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to compare the information at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-secondary-level-3rd-step-incomplete memory with particularpreprogrammed information that is “1”. No match results which signifiesthat control processor, 39J, has already completed the code portion ofsaid load-run-and-code instructions. Not resulting in a match causescontrol processor, 39J, to complete said load-run-and-code instructions,to place “1” at the aforementioned SPAM-Flag-secondary-level-incompleteregister memory signifying completion of the secondary level controlfunctions, to place “1” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-at-secondary-control-level register memory, and to commenceexecuting control instructions beginning with that instruction whoseparticular address/location is the address/location of the informationat the aforementioned SPAM-next-primary-instruction-address memory.

Automatically, the particular instructions that begin at saidaddress/location cause control processor, 39J, to execute particularend-process-portion-? instructions of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instructions.Under control of said end-process-portion-? instructions, controlprocessor, 39J, determines that the information at saidSPAM-Flag-secondary-level-incomplete register memory matches aparticular preprogrammed “1”; places “1” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-primary-level-2nd-step-incomplete register memory, signifyingcompletion of the process portion of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instructions;determines that the information at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete register memory matches aparticular preprogrammed “1”, signifying the completion of the meterportion of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instructions;and completes execution of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-01-or-11-header-message instructions.

Completing the controlled functions of said first message causes controlprocessor, 39J, automatically to prepare to receive the next SPAMmessage. Automatically, control processor, 39J, compares the informationat said SPAM-header memory to particular preprogrammedcause-retention-of-exec information that is “01”. A match results whichcauses control processor, 39J, to compare the information at theaforementioned SPAM-Flag-executing-secondary-command register memory toparticular preprogrammed information that is “0”. A match results whichsignifies that control processor, 39J, is executing control functionsinvoked by information of a secondary level execution segment.Accordingly, said match causes control processor, 39J to placeinformation of the information at said SPAM-exec memory at theaforementioned SPAM-last-secondary-01-header-exec register memory(rather than at SPAM-last-01-header-exec register memory). Beingpreprogrammed to collect monitor information, control processor, 39J,automatically compares the information at said SPAM-Flag-monitor-infomemory with particular preprogrammed “0” information. No match resultswhich indicates that control processor, 39J, has transferred monitorinformation in respect to said first message. Then, automatically,control processor, 39J, causes all apparatus of control processor, 39J,to delete from memory all information of said first message exceptinformation at said SPAM-first-precondition, SPAM-last-01-header-exec,and SPAM-last-secondary-01-header-exec memories. Finally, controlprocessor, 39J, causes EOFS valves, 39F and 39H, to commence processinginputted signal words, in their preprogrammed detecting fashions, andoutputting information to matrix switch, 39I; causes matrix switch, 39I,to commence transferring information from the EOFS valve identified bythe information at the aforementioned SPAM-primary-input-source registermemory, which is EOFS valve, 39F, to control processor, 39J; andcommences waiting to receive information of a subsequent SPAM headerfrom matrix switch, 39I.

As described in “One Combined Medium” above, running said programinstruction set causes microcomputer, 205, (and URS microcomputers, 205,at other subscriber stations) to place appropriate FIG. 1A imageinformation at particular video RAM then to transferparticular-number-of-overlay-completed information and instructions tocontrol processor, 39J. Receiving said information and instructionscauses control processor, 39J, to place the number “00000001” at theaforementioned SPAM-second-precondition register memory, signifying thatsaid image information represents the first overlay of its associatedvideo program.

Receiving said 1st meter & monitor information (#4) causesbuffer/comparator, 14, automatically to compare the information, in said1st information, of the header information that identifies atransmission of meter information to particular preprogrammedheader-identification-@14 information. A match results with particularmeter-identification information which causes buffer/comparator, 14, toselect information of particular predetermined bit locations (whichlocations contain the information of the meter instruction field of said1st meter & monitor information (#4)) and to compare said selectedinformation to preprogrammed metering-instruction-comparisoninformation. (Matches with particular metering-instruction-comparisoninformation invoke simple metering processes that buffer/comparator, 14,has capacity to perform by itself). No match results (which signifiesthat the meter processing caused by the information said field is toocomplex to occur under control of buffer/comparator, 14, alone). Notresulting in a match causes buffer/comparator, 14, automatically totransmit to controller, 20, particular preprogrammed instruct-to-meterinformation then said selected information (which the meter instructioninformation of said first message).

Receiving said information causes controller, 20, to compare said meterinstruction information to preprogrammed instruct-to-meter-@20information and to determine that said information matches particular1-2-3-meter information that invokes three particular sets ofinstructions preprogrammed at controller, 20. The first set initiatesassembly at buffer/comparator, 14, of a first particular meter recordthat is based on the information, in one meter-monitor field of thefirst message, of the program unit information of said first command.Assembly of said record enables a particular remote metering station toaccount for the use of the information of said “Wall Street Week”program and bill subscribers who use said information. The second setcauses assembly at buffer/comparator, 14, of a second particular meterrecord that is based on the information, in a second meter-monitorfield, of the supplier of the program instruction set that follows saidfirst command. The capacity for a given command to cause the assembly ofmore than one record enables separate ownership properties that are usedjointly in a given instance of SPAM information to be accounted forseparately. For example, the copyright owner of said “Wall Street Week”program (who owns the FIG. 1B image) and said supplier (whoseinformation generates the FIG. 1A image) may be different parties. Saidsecond record enables said remote station (or alternatively, a separateremote metering station) to account for use of said program setseparately from the accounting of said “Wall Street Week” program and tocharge subscribers separately. The third set causes the recording atrecorder, 16, of said second meter record.

Said match causes controller, 20, to execute said instructions. Undercontrol of said first set, controller, 20, initiates assembly of saidfirst meter record by selecting and placing at particular recordlocations at buffer/comparator, 14, particular record formatinformation, then program unit information from a particularmeter-monitor field of said 1st meter & monitor information (#4), originof transmission information from a second field, date and time oftransmission information from a third field, decryption key informationfrom the decryption mark of said 1st meter & monitor information (#4),and finally date and time of processing information from clock, 18.

In its preprogrammed fashion, when said first specified set iscompleted, controller, 20, executes said second specified set whichcauses controller, 20, to assemble said second record. Under control ofsaid second set, controller, 20, places at a particular second recordlocations at buffer/comparator, 14, particular record formatinformation, then information of the supplier of said programinstruction set from a particular meter-monitor field of 1st meter &monitor information (#4), program unit information from a second field,origin of transmission information from a third field, date and time oftransmission information from a fourth field, and finally date and timeof processing information from clock, 18.

When said second set is completed, controller, 20, executes said thirdspecified set which causes controller, 20, to cause buffer/comparator,14, to transfer said second meter record to recorder, 16, in apredetermined fashion then discard all information of said record fromits memory and to cause recorder, 16, to process and record saidtransferred meter record in its preprogrammed fashion.

Buffer/comparator, 14, and controller, 20, are preprogrammed to processmonitor information, and completing the metering functions invoked bysaid 1-2-3-meter information causes controller, 20, to causebuffer/comparator, 14, to execute its preprogrammed automatic monitoringfunctions. These functions proceed in the same fashion that applied tothe 1st monitor information (#3). Buffer/comparator, 14, determines thatthe source mark of said 1st meter & monitor information (#4) matchessource information associated with the monitor record of the priorprogramming displayed at monitor, 202M, but that the program unitinformation of said 1st meter & monitor information (#4) does not matchthe program unit information of said monitor record. Accordingly,buffer/comparator, 14, causes the apparatus of signal processor, 200, torecord said monitor record at recorder, 16, and to replace said monitorrecord at buffer/comparator, 14, with a new monitor record based on theinformation of the 1st meter & monitor information (#4). Whenbuffer/comparator, 14, completes said monitoring functions,buffer/comparator, 14, deletes all unrecorded information of said 1stmeter & monitor information (#4) and commences waiting for the nextinstance of inputted information.

The content of the 1st meter & monitor information (#4) causescontroller, 20, to organize the information of said new monitor recordin a particular fashion that differs, in one respect, from the newmonitor record generated in the third example by the 1st monitorinformation (#3). Unlike the first combining synch command in the thirdexample, the first combining synch command in the fourth example must bedecrypted, and the 1st meter & monitor information (#4) includes adecryption mark. Thus the new monitor record generated by the 1st meter& monitor information (#4) includes decryption key information, notincluded in the new monitor record generated by the 1st monitorinformation (#3), and record format field information that reflects thepresence of said decryption field information.

Operating S. P. Systems . . . Example #4 (Second Message)

With one exception, the information of the second message of example #4is identical to the information of the second message of example #2. Themeter instruction information the second message of example #4 instructsubscriber station apparatus to perform certain meter operations,described more fully below, that are not performed in example #2. In allother respects the second message of example #4 is identical to thesecond message of example #2 and is encrypted, embedded, and transmittedat the “Wall Street Week” program originating studio just as in example#2.

But a significant difference exists between examples #2 and #4. Unlikeexample #2 wherein FIG. 1A image information exists at all URSmicrocomputers, 205, FIG. 1A image information exists in example #4 onlyat those subscriber stations where the encrypted information of thefirst message has been decrypted, causing the apparatus of said stationsto load and execute program instruction set information at themicrocomputers, 205. Only at said stations does “program unitidentification code” information of said “Wall Street Week” programexist at the SPAM-first-precondition register memories of the controlprocessors, 1039J. Only at said subscriber stations can the secondcombining synch command cause the display of FIG. 1C information.

Receiving said second message causes the apparatus of the station ofFIG. 3 (and other stations that are configured and preprogrammed likethe station of FIG. 3), in the following fashion, to decrypt theencrypted portions of said message, to execute the controlled functionsof the decrypted information of said message; and to record meterinformation and monitor information relating to said message.(Simultaneously, receiving said message causes other stations that areconfigured and/or preprogrammed differently from the station of FIG. 3to respond, automatically, in fashions that differ from the fashion ofthe station of FIG. 3 in ways that are described below parenthetically.)

When divider, 4, commences transferring the embedded information of saidsecond message to decoder, 203, the binary SPAM information of saidmessage is received at decoder, 203; detected at detector, 34; checkedand corrected, as necessary, at processor, 39B; converted into locallyusable binary information at processor, 39D; and processed for end offile signal information at EOFS valve, 39F. Receiving the SPAM messageinformation of said message causes EOFS valve, 39F, to transfer saidinformation, via matrix switch, 39I, to control processor, 39J, as fastas control processor, 39J, is prepared to receive said information.

Receiving said information causes control processor, 39J, to record thesmallest number of signal words that can contain H bits atSPAM-input-signal memory; to select information of the first H bits atsaid memory; to record said information at SPAM-header memory; tocompare the information at said SPAM-header memory with theaforementioned invoke-monitor-processing information, determine a matchwith particular preprogrammed “00” information, and enter “0” at theaforementioned SPAM-Flag-monitor-info register memory; to recordadditional SPAM signal words at said SPAM-input-signal memory until thetotal quantity of SPAM signal words recorded at said memory equals thesmallest number of signal words that can contain H+X bits; to recordinformation of the first X bits of information at said SPAM-input-signalmemory immediately after the first H bits at said SPAM-exec memory; tocompare the information at said memory with the aforementionedcontrolled-function-invoking information and determine a match withparticular preprogrammed this-message-addressed-to-200 information; andto execute the aforementioned transfer-header-and-exec-seg-info-to-200instructions.

Executing said instructions causes control processor, 39J, to transferto controller, 20, of signal processor, 200, via control informationtransmission means, an interrupt signal, the aforementionedprocess-this-message information and at-39J information, and informationof the header and execution segment of said second message.

Receiving said interrupt signal and information causes controller, 20,in a predetermined fashion, to cease a processing task that is unrelatedto the processing of said second message; to compare said information ofthe execution segment to the aforementionedcontrolled-function-invoking-@200 information and determine a match withparticular decrypt-with-key-J information; to execute particularpreprogrammed decrypt-with-J-at-39K instructions; to select and transferkey information of J to decryptor, 39K; to compare said information ofthe header to the aforementioned header-identification-@200 informationand determine a match with particular “00” header information; toexecute particular preprogrammed decrypt-a-00-header-message-at-39Kinstructions; to transmit a particular preprogrammedprocess-and-transmit-info-of-MMS-L instruction, via control transmissionmeans, to control processor, 39J; then, in a predetermined fashion, tocommence an unrelated processing task.

Receiving said last named instruction causes control processor, 39J, toexecute particular preprogrammed process-length-token-and-transmit-MMS-Linstructions; to record additional SPAM signal words at saidSPAM-input-signal memory until the quantity of SPAM words recorded atsaid memory is the smallest number of words that can contain H+X+L bits;to select information of the first L bits at said memory immediatelyafter the first H+X bits; to determine that said information matchesY-token information; to select y-bits information associated with saidY-token information and record said y-bits information at saidSPAM-length-info memory (thereby placing at said memory information ofthe number of encrypted meter-monitor segment bits in said secondmessage after the last bit of length token—that is, the numeric value ofMMS-L); and to transmit to controller, 20, via control transmissionmeans, an interrupt signal, the aforementioned at-39J information,information of said numeric value of MMS-L.

Receiving said interrupt signal, at-39J information, information ofMMS-L causes controller, 20, in the aforementioned predeterminedfashion, to cease an unrelated processing task; to execute, in apredetermined fashion, particular preprogrammed ones of theaforementioned decrypt-a-00-header-message-at-39K instructions; totransmit to decryptor, 39K, particular decrypt-a-00-header-messageinstructions (which instructions include information of MMS-L); totransmit to control processor, 39J, a particulardecrypt-process-and-meter-a-00-message instruction and particulardecryption mark information of key J; then, in a predetermined fashion,to commence an unrelated processing task.

Receiving said last named instruction and mark information causescontrol processor, 39J, to record said mark information at theaforementioned SPAM-decryption-mark register memory; to enter “1” at theaforementioned SPAM-Flag-monitor-info register memory; to placeparticular from-39F information at the aforementionedSPAM-primary-input-source register memory; and to execute particularpreprogrammed decrypt-process-and-meter-current-00-header-messageinstructions.

Executing said instructions causes control processor, 39J, first, toreceive all remaining command information and padding bits in saidsecond message in the following fashion. Said instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to add H+X+L to the information of y-bits at theaforementioned SPAM-length-info memory; to determine a particular numberof signal words to receive from EOFS valve, 39F; to receive and recordsaid words at said SPAM-input-signal memory immediately following SPAMsignal word previously recorded at said memory; if the commandinformation of said message fills a whole number of signal words, toreceive one additional signal word, compare the information of said wordto information of one EOFS WORD, record said word at saidSPAM-input-signal memory immediately following the last SPAM signal wordrecorded at said memory, and receive and record the information of onemore SPAM signal word at said SPAM-input-signal memory immediatelyfollowing the last SPAM signal word recorded at said memory if said oneadditional signal word has matched said EOFS WORD information; and tocease accepting SPAM signal information from EOFS valve, 39F.

Executing said decrypt-process-and-meter-current-00-header-messageinstructions causes control processor, 39J, then, to transfer todecryptor, 39K, the SPAM information of said second message in thefollowing fashion. Said instructions cause control processor, 39J, tocause matrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring information from EOFSvalve, 39F, to control processor, 39J, and commence transferringinformation from control processor, 39J, to decryptor, 39K, and causecontrol processor, 39J, to transfer all information recorded at saidSPAM-input-signal memory of control processor, 39J, which information iscomplete information of said second message.

Automatically, decryptor, 39K, commences receiving SPAM signalinformation.

Executing said decrypt-process-and-meter-current-00-header-messageinstructions causes control processor, 39J, then, in the followingfashion, to prepare to receive the decrypted information of said secondmessage and to execute, at a secondary control level under primarycontrol of said decrypt-process-and-meter-current-00-header-messageinstructions, the controlled functions invoked by said decryptedinformation. Said instructions cause control processor, 39J, to placeinformation of a particular reentry-address at the aforementionedSPAM-next-primary-instruction-address register memory; to placeinformation of “0” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-primary-level-2nd-step-incomplete register memory and,separately, at SPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete registermemory; to place information of “0” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-secondary-level-incomplete register memory; to compare theinformation at said SPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory with particularpreprogrammed “0” information and skip all steps of collecting monitorinformation because no match results; to cause all apparatus of controlprocessor, 39J, to delete from memory all information of said secondmessage except information at said SPAM-decryption-mark,SPAM-Flag-at-secondary-control-level, SPAM-primary-input-source,SPAM-next-primary-instruction-address register memories; to cause matrixswitch, 39I, to cease transferring SPAM message information from controlprocessor, 39J, to decryptor, 39K, and commence transferring SPAMmessage information from EOFS valve, 39H, to control processor, 39J; toplace information of “0” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-executing-secondary-command register memory; to placeinformation of “0” at the aforementioned SPAM-Flag-at-secondary-levelregister memory; and to commence waiting to receive information of asubsequent SPAM header from said switch, 39I.

Receiving from controller, 20, the aforementioned key information of Jand decrypt-a-00-header-message instructions (that include informationof MMS-L) and from matrix switch, 39I, the aforementioned transferredSPAM message information that is complete information of said secondmessage causes decryptor, 39K, to transfer the first H bits of said SPAMinformation to buffer, 39G, without decrypting or altering said bits inany fashion; to decrypt and transfer the next X bits of saidinformation; to transfer the next L bits without decrypting or alteringsaid bits; to decrypt and transfer the next MMS-L bits; and finally, totransfer any bits remaining after the last of said MMS-L bits withoutdecrypting or altering said bits remaining. In so doing, decryptor, 39K,inputs complete unencrypted information of said second message tobuffer, 39G. Said complete unencrypted information is identical to theSPAM message information that decryptor, 10, inputs to controller, 12,in example #2.

Receiving said complete unencrypted information causes buffer, 39G,automatically to buffer said information and input said information toEOFS valve, 39H, and causes EOFS valve, 39H, to transfer saidinformation, via matrix switch, 39I, to control processor, 39J, as fastas control processor, 39J, is prepared to receive said information.

Receiving said information causes control processor, 39J, to record thesmallest number of signal words that can contain H bits atSPAM-input-signal memory; to select information of the first H bits atsaid memory; to record said information at SPAM-header memory; tocompare the information at said SPAM-header memory with theaforementioned invoke-monitor-processing information, determine a matchwith particular preprogrammed “00” information, and enter “0” at theaforementioned SPAM-Flag-monitor-info register memory; to recordadditional SPAM signal words at said SPAM-input-signal memory until thetotal quantity of SPAM signal words recorded at said memory equals thesmallest number of signal words that can contain H+X bits; to recordinformation of the first X bits of information at said SPAM-input-signalmemory immediately after the first H bits at said SPAM-exec memory; tocompare the information at said memory with the aforementionedcontrolled-function-invoking information and determine a match with theaforementioned execute-conditional-overlay-at-205 information; and toexecute the aforementioned conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions.

Executing said instructions causes control processor, 39J, first, toreceive all remaining command information and padding bits in saidsecond message in the following fashion. Said instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to record additional SPAM signal words at saidSPAM-input-signal memory until the quantity of SPAM words recorded atsaid memory is the smallest number of words that can contain H+X+L bits;to select information of the first L bits at said memory immediatelyafter the first H+X bits; to determine that said information matchesY-token information; to select y-bits information that is information ofthe numeric value of MMS-L and record said information at saidSPAM-length-info memory; add H+X+L to the information said memory; todetermine a particular number of signal words to receive from EOFSvalve, 39H; to receive and record said words at said SPAM-input-signalmemory immediately following SPAM signal word previously recorded atsaid memory; if the command information of said message fills a wholenumber of signal words, to receive one additional signal word, comparethe information of said word to information of one EOFS WORD, recordsaid word at said SPAM-input-signal memory immediately following thelast SPAM signal word recorded at said memory, and receive and recordthe information of one more SPAM signal word at said SPAM-input-signalmemory immediately following the last SPAM signal word recorded at saidmemory if said one additional signal word has matched said EOFS WORDinformation; and to cease accepting SPAM signal information.

By receiving all command information and padding bits in said secondmessage, control processor, 39J, receives all of the unencryptedcomplete information of said second message. Accordingly, the nextsignal word to be transferred by said valve, 39H, will be the first wordof a subsequent message inputted to buffer, 39G.

Executing said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions causes controlprocessor, 39J, then, in the following fashion, to locate information ofthe unique “program unit identification code” that identifies theprogram unit of said “Wall Street Week” program and determine that saidinformation matches the information at the aforementionedSPAM-first-precondition register memory. Said instructions cause controlprocessor, 39J, to select information of the bits of the meter-monitorformat field in said first message; to compare said information withformat-specification information; to determine a match with particularD-format information; to place at the aforementioned SPAM-mm-formatmemory a particular D-offset-address number that is different from theaforementioned A-, B-, and C-offset-address numbers; to execute theaforementioned locate-program-unit instructions and locate the programunit field in the meter-monitor information of said second message inthe fashion described above; to select binary information of aparticular number of contiguous bit locations at said SPAM-input-signalmemory that begin at a particular number of bit locations after thefirst bit location at said memory (which binary information is saidinformation of, the unique “program unit identification code”); and tocompare said binary information to the information at the aforementionedSPAM-first-precondition register memory, causing a match to result.

(At those subscriber stations where the information of the program unitfield in the meter-monitor information of said second message fails tomatch information at SPAM-first-precondition register memory—includingall stations that are preprogrammed with decryption key information of Jbut not with decryption key information of Z—particularfirst-condition-test-failed instructions of saidconditional-overlay-at-205 instructions cause the control processors,39J, of said stations to enter “0” at each of the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-first-condition-failed and SPAM-Flag-do-not-meter registermemories, which memories are each normally “1”; to cause all SPAMinformation at the main and video RAMS of the microcomputers, 205, ofsaid stations to be cleared; and to complete allconditional-overlay-at-205 instructions and, in so doing, to completeall controlled functions invoked by said second message at the secondarycontrol level.)

So resulting in a match, under control of the conditional-overlay-at-205instructions at the station of FIG. 3, causes control processor, 39J,then, to execute the aforementioned locate-overlay-number instructionsand locate the overlay number field in the meter-monitor information ofsaid second message in the fashion described above; to select binaryinformation of a particular number of contiguous bit locations at saidSPAM-input-signal memory that begin at a particular number of bitlocations after the first bit location at said memory (which binaryinformation is the information of said overlay number field); and tocompare said binary information to the information at the aforementionedSPAM-second-precondition register memory, causing a match to result.

(At those subscriber stations where the information of the overlaynumber fails to match information at SPAM-second-precondition memory,particular second-condition-test-failed instructions of saidconditional-overlay-at-205 instructions cause the control processors,39J, of said stations to interrupt the operation of the CPUs of themicrocomputers, 205, of said stations; to cause said microcomputers,205, to restore efficient operation in a fashion described more fullybelow; to enter “0” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-second-condition-failed register memory, which memories isnormally “1”; and to complete all conditional-overlay-at-205instructions and controlled functions invoked by said second message atthe secondary control level.)

So resulting in a match, under control of saidconditional-overlay-at-205 instructions at the station of FIG. 3, causescontrol processor, 39J, (and control processors, 39J, at othersubscriber stations where matches with information atSPAM-second-precondition memory result) to cause matrix switch, 39I, tocease transferring information from EOFS valve, 39H, to controlprocessor, 39J, and commence transferring information from controlprocessor, 39J, to the PC-MicroKey System of microcomputer, 205; totransmit the instruction, “GRAPHICS ON”, to said PC-MicroKey System; tocause matrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring information from controlprocessor, 39J, to said PC-MicroKey System; and to complete allconditional-overlay-at-205 instructions and controlled functions invokedby said second message at the secondary control level.

Transmitting the instruction, “GRAPHICS ON”, to the PC-MicroKey Systemof the subscriber station of FIG. 3 (and transmitting “GRAPHICS ON” toother PC-MicroKey Systems at other subscriber stations where the programinstruction set of the first message has been run at a microcomputer,205, and where said second message causes “GRAPHICS ON” to betransmitted) causes said PC-MicroKey System to combine the programmingof FIG. 1A and of FIG. 1B and transmit the combined programming tomonitor, 202M, where FIG. 1C is displayed.

Completing all conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions and controlledfunctions invoked at the secondary control level causes controlprocessor, 39J, (and causes control processors, 39J, at other stations)to execute conventional control-function-complete instructions andcompare the information at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-at-secondary-control-level memory to particular “0”information. A match results.

Resulting in a match, under control of said instructions causes controlprocessor, 39J, to place “1” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-secondary-level-incomplete memory, to place “1” at saidSPAM-Flag-at-secondary-control-level memory, and to commence executingcontrol instructions beginning with that instruction whose particularaddress/location is the address/location of the information at theaforementioned SPAM-next-primary-instruction-address memory.

Automatically, the particular instructions that begin at saidaddress/location cause control processor, 39J, to execute the particularend-process-portion-? instructions of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-00-header-message instructions. Undercontrol of said end-process-portion-? instructions, control processor,39J, determines that the information at saidSPAM-Flag-secondary-level-incomplete memory matches a particularpreprogrammed “1”; places “1” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-primary-level-2nd-step-incomplete register memory; determinesthat a comparison of the information at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete register memory with aparticular preprogrammed “1” does not result in a match, signifying thatthe meter portion of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-00-header-message instructions remainsuncompleted.

Not resulting in a match causes control processor, 39J, under control ofsaid decrypt-process-and-meter-current-00-header-message instructions,to execute the meter portion of said instructions. Under control of theinstructions of said portion, control processor, 39J, compares theinformation at the aforementioned SPAM-Flag-do-not-meter register memoryto particular preprogrammed information of “0”. No match results.

(At those subscriber stations where the aforementionedfirst-condition-test-failed instructions caused “0” to be entered at theSPAM-Flag-do-not-meter memories of said stations, matches result whenthe information at said memories is compared to “0”. Said matches causethe control processors, 39J, of said stations to complete thedecrypt-process-and-meter-current-00-header-message instructions of saidstations and all controlled functions invoked by said second messageimmediately, without transferring any meter information to thebuffer/comparators, 14, of said stations and, at particular selectedones of said stations, without entering “1” at theSPAM-Flag-monitor-info memories. Said selected stations are stationsthat are preprogrammed to collect monitor information.)

Not resulting in a match, under control said meter portion at thestation of FIG. 3, causes control processor, 39J, to compare theinformation at the aforementioned SPAM-Flag-second-condition-failedregister memory to particular preprogrammed information of “1”. A matchresults.

(At such other stations where no matches result, not resulting in amatch, under control of said instructions, causes the control processor,39J, of each one of said other stations, to execute particularsecond-precondition-failed-meter instructions of said meter portion.Automatically, said instructions cause control processor, 39J, totransfer to the buffer/comparator, 14, of said one, particular headerinformation that identifies a transmission of meter information at astation where inefficient operation of a microcomputer, 205, preventedcombining; then the decoder-203 source mark of the decoder, 203, of saidstation; then information of the decryption mark of key J informationrecorded at SPAM-decryption-mark register memory of said station; thenall of the received binary information of said second message that isrecorded at said SPAM-input-signal memory of said station. Saidtransmitted information is called, hereinafter, the “2nd meter-monitorinformation—second precondition failed—(#4).” Then said instructionscause control processor, 39J, to place “1” at saidSPAM-Flag-second-condition-failed memory and continue the regularinstructions of said portion.)

Resulting in a match, under control said meter portion at the station ofFIG. 3, causes control processor, 39J, to cause matrix switch, 39I, tocommence transferring information from control processor, 39J, tobuffer/comparator, 14, of signal processor, 200; to transfer theaforementioned header information that identifies a conventionaltransmission of meter information then the aforementioned decoder-203source mark then information of the information recorded at saidSPAM-decryption-mark register memory, which is the decryption mark ofkey J, then all of the received binary information of said secondmessage that is recorded at said SPAM-input-signal memory; then to causematrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring information from controlprocessor, 39J, to said buffer/comparator, 14. (Said receivedinformation is complete information of the second combining synchcommand of example #4, and said information that is transmitted tobuffer/comparator, 14, is called, hereinafter, the “2nd meter-monitorinformation (#4).”) Then the instructions of said portion cause controlprocessor, 39J, to enter “1” at said SPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory; toenter “1” at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-primary-level-3rd-step-incomplete register memory; and todetermine that a comparison of the information at the aforementionedSPAM-Flag-primary-level-2nd-step-incomplete register memory with aparticular preprogrammed “1” results in a match, signifying thecompletion of the process portion of saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-00-header-message instructions.

Resulting in a match causes control processor, 39J, to complete saiddecrypt-process-and-meter-current-00-header-message instructions and allcontrolled functions of said second message.

Completing the controlled functions of said second message causescontrol processor, 39J, automatically to prepare to receive the nextSPAM message. Automatically, control processor, 39J, compares theinformation at said SPAM-header memory to particular preprogrammedcause-retention-of-exec information that is “01”. No match results. Notresulting in a match causes control processor, 39J, to executeparticular collect monitor information and to compare the information atsaid SPAM-Flag-monitor-info memory with particular preprogrammed “0”information. No match results.

(By contrast, matches result at every station that is preprogrammed tocollect monitor information where said second message is decrypted butFIG. 1C image information is not displayed because the “program unitidentification code” information in said second message fails to matchinformation at SPAM-first-precondition register memory. Said matchescause the control processors, 39J, of said stations to execute theaforementioned collect-monitor-information instructions. Saidinstructions cause said control processors, 39J, to transfer to thebuffer/comparators, 14, particular header information that identifies atransmission of monitor information at a station where no combiningoccurred because first precondition program unit information failed tomatch and which transmission contains decryption mark information, thento transfer the aforementioned decoder-203 source mark information, theninformation of the decryption mark of key J information recorded atSPAM-decryption-mark register memory, then all of the received binaryinformation of said second message that is recorded at theSPAM-input-signal memories of said stations. Said information that istransmitted to said buffer/comparators, 14, is called, hereinafter, the“2nd monitor information (#4).” Then said instructions cause saidcontrol processors, 39J, to place “1” at said SPAM-Flag-monitor-infomemory, at the aforementioned SPAM-Flag-first-condition-failed memory,and at the aforementioned SPAM-Flag-do-not-meter memory and to continueexecuting conventional control instructions. Then the conventionalcontrol instructions of said stations cause said control processors,39J, to cause all apparatus of the controllers, 39, to delete frommemory all information of said second message and to commence waiting toreceive information of a subsequent SPAM header from the matrixswitches, 39I.)

Not resulting in a match, at the station of FIG. 3, causes controlprocessor, 39J, to cause all apparatus of controller, 39, to delete frommemory all information of said second message; to cause matrix switch,39I, to commence transferring information from the EOFS valve identifiedby the information at the aforementioned SPAM-primary-input-sourceregister memory, which is EOFS valve, 39F, to control processor, 39J;and to commence waiting to receive information of a subsequent SPAMheader from matrix switch, 39I.

Receiving said 2nd meter & monitor information (#4) causesbuffer/comparator, 14, automatically to compare the header informationthat identifies a transmission of meter information to particularpreprogrammed header-identification-@14 information. A match resultswith the aforementioned meter-identification information, causingbuffer/comparator, 14, to select the meter instruction information ofthe aforementioned particular bit locations of the meter instructionfield of said 2nd meter & monitor information (#4) and to compare saidselected information to the aforementionedmetering-instruction-comparison information. No match results, causingbuffer/comparator, 14, automatically to transmit to controller, 20, theaforementioned instruct-to-meter information then said meter instructioninformation.

Receiving said information causes controller, 20, to compare said meterinstruction information to the aforementioned instruct-to-meter-@20information and to determine that said meter instruction informationmatches particular preprogrammedupdate-program-record-&-increment-by-one information that causescontroller, 20, to execute particular update-and-increment instructions.Said instructions cause signal processor, 200, not only to add oneincrementally to each meter record maintained at buffer/comparator, 14,that is associated with decryption key information of the instance ofmeter information being processed (which is, substantively, the meteringfunction invoked by the 2nd meter information (#2)) but also to modifythe information of the aforementioned first particular meter record,initiated by the 1st meter & monitor information (#4). (The particularmetering function invoked by said 2nd meter information (#2) could notmodify any of the information of said first particular meter record,even by incrementing by one, because no information of decryption key Jis associated with said record when the 2nd meter & monitor information(#4) is received at buffer/comparator, 14.)

Executing said update-and-increment instructions causes controller, 20,in a predetermined fashion, to analyze the information of said 2nd meter& monitor information (#4); to place information of the information ofthe overlay number field in said 2nd information at a particular recordfield associated with said first particular meter record, signifying thecombining of said overlay at the subscriber station of FIG. 3; and toplace, at the particular record location occupied by record formatinformation, particular new record format information that identifiesthe new format of said first particular meter record; to compare thedecryption mark information in said 2nd meter & monitor information (#4)with the aforementioned decryption-key-comparison information,preprogrammed at buffer/comparator, 14; to determine several matches; toincrement by one the meter record, at buffer/comparator, 14, associatedwith each particular decryption-key-comparison datum that matches thedecryption mark of said 2nd meter & monitor information (#4); to discardall information of said 2nd meter & monitor information (#4) from itsmemory; and to complete said update-and-increment instructions.

Completing the metering functions invoked by said meter instructioninformation causes controller, 20, to cause buffer/comparator, 14, toexecute its preprogrammed automatic monitoring functions. Thesefunctions proceed in the fashion that applied to the 2nd monitorinformation (#3).

The content of the 2nd meter & monitor information (#4) causes onboardcontroller, 14A, to organize the information of said new monitor recordin a particular fashion that differs, in one respect, from the newmonitor record generated in the third example by the 2nd monitorinformation (#3). The 2nd meter & monitor information (#4) includes adecryption mark. The presence of said mark causes causes onboardcontroller, 14A, to includes decryption key information of J, notincluded in the new monitor record generated by the 1st monitorinformation (#3), and record format field information that reflects thepresence of said decryption field information.

(At each station where the aforementioned 2nd meter & monitorinformation—second precondition failed—(#4) is transmitted, receivingsaid 2nd information—failed—(#4) causes the buffer/comparator, 14, ofsaid station automatically to compare the information, in said 2ndinformation—failed—(#4), of the header that identifies a transmission ofmeter information at a station where inefficient operation of amicrocomputer, 205, prevented combining to the aforementionedheader-identification-@14 information. A match results with particularsecond-precondition-failed information, causing buffer/comparator, 14,to select information of the aforementioned particular bit locationsthat contain the information of the meter instruction field of said 2ndinformation—failed—(#4) then automatically to transmit to controller,20, a particular preprogrammed instruct-to-process-info-failedinformation then said selected information, which is the meterinstruction information of said second message. Receiving saidinformation causes controller, 20, in a predetermined fashion, toexecute particular preprogrammedincrement-by-one-&-record-failed-combining-info information that invokesto particular sets of instructions preprogrammed at controller, 20. Thefirst set causes controller, 20, to cause buffer/comparator, 14, to addone incrementally to each meter record maintained at buffer/comparator,14, that is associated with decryption key information that matches thedecryption mark of said 2nd information—failed—(#4) in the fashion ofexample #2. Then the second set causes controller, 20, to assemble arecord of a failed combining at buffer/comparator, 14; to record saidrecord at recorder, 16, in the fashion of the second and third sets ofexample #4 (first message); and to complete the metering functionsinvoked by said increment-by-one-&-record-failed-combining-infoinformation. The content of said record includes information thatidentifies said record as information of a combining aborted due toinefficient operation of a subscriber station microcomputer, 205; theunique digital code information capable of identifying the subscriberstation of FIG. 3 uniquely, which information is preprogrammed atcontroller, 20; and the “program unit identification code” and overlaynumber information of the meter-monitor segment information of saidsecond message in said 2nd information—failed—(#4). At each station thatprocesses said 2nd information—failed—(#4) and that is preprogrammed tocollect monitor information, completing said metering functions causesthe controller, 20, of said station to cause the buffer/comparator, 14,to execute its preprogrammed automatic monitoring functions. Thesefunctions proceed in the fashion that applied to the 2nd meter & monitorinformation (#4) with particular exceptions. Receiving said 2ndinformation—failed—(#4) causes the onboard controller, 14A, to add notonly decryption key information but also information that combiningfailed to occur because of inefficient microcomputer operation and thatthe combining is of the overlay number of the information of the overlaynumber field in said 2nd information—failed—(#4).)

(At each station where the aforementioned 2nd monitor information (#4)is transmitted, no 1st meter & monitor information (#4) transmissionoccurred; onboard controller, 14A, has not initiated a new monitorrecord of the “Wall Street Week” program; and the aforementioned recordof the prior programming displayed at monitor, 202M, remains atbuffer/comparator, 14. Accordingly, receiving said 2nd monitorinformation (#4) causes the buffer/comparator, 14, of said station toprocess information in the fashion of the 1st monitor information (#3).Automatically, said buffer/comparator, 14, determines that the headerinformation in said 2nd monitor information (#4) matches particularpreprogrammed monitored-instruction-not-fulfilled information whichcauses buffer/comparator, 14, to input said 2nd monitor information (#4)to onboard controller, 14A. Receiving said 2nd monitor information (#4)causes onboard controller, 14A, to execute the aforementionedprocess-monitor-info instructions; to determine that the “program unitidentification code” in said 2nd monitor information (#4) does not matchthe “program unit identification code” information in said record ofprior programming; to cause signal processor, 200, to record said recordof prior programming at recorder, 16; to initiate a new monitor recordthat reflects the new “Wall Street Week” programming; and finally, todiscard all unrecorded information of said 2nd monitor information (#4)and commence waiting for the next inputted instance of monitorinformation. The header information of the 2nd monitor information (#4)causes signal processor, 200, to assemble said new monitor record in theparticular format of a combined video/computer medium transmission at astation where no combining occurred because first precondition programunit information failed to match and to include a particular recordformat field within said format identifying the format of said record.From the meter-monitor segment of said 2nd monitor information (#4),onboard controller, 14A, selects and records at particular signal recordfield locations the “program unit identification code” of the “WallStreet Week” program, the overlay number information, and minute of the“Wall Street Week” program transmission within a one month period. Andonboard controller, 14A, records in a particular monitor record fieldlocation the aforementioned display unit identification code thatidentifies monitor, 202M, as the display apparatus of said new monitorrecord and date and time information received from clock, 18.)

Operating S. P. Systems . . . Example #4 (Third Message)

Subsequently, the embedded information of the third message of the “WallStreet Week” program is inputted to decoder, 203. Said information isidentical to the embedded information of the third message of examples#1, #2, and #3 and causes the same processing at decoder, 203, that theinformation of the third message of example #3 caused. The informationof the third message of example #4 causes “GRAPHICS OFF” to be executedat the PC-MicroKey System of the microcomputers, 205, of all subscriberstations tuned to the “Wall Street Week” transmission. But like thethird message of example #2, the third message of example #4 causescombining actually to cease only each selected one of said stationswhere information of the second message previously caused combining tocommence.

However, example #4 does differ from example #2. In example #2, thesecond message causes combining to commence at every selected stationwhere the information of said second message is decrypted; that is,every station preprogrammed with information of decryption key J. Butthe second message of example #4 causes combining to commence only atthose selected stations where information not only of said secondmessage is decrypted but also where information of the first message ofexample #4 had been decrypted; that is, only at those stationspreprogrammed not only with information of decryption key J but alsoinformation of decryption key Z.

Thus example #4 illustrates a case where not only does selectiveprocessing of the second message enable the third message to have effectonly at selected stations without any selective processing of said thirdmessage, the selective processing of the first message enables the thirdmessage to have effect only at an even more selective group of stationsthan would otherwise be the case. Placing the PC-MicroKey Systems of allstations into the “Graphics Off” mode prior to transmitting the firstmessage of example #4 enables the third message of example #4 in thesimplest possible fashion to cause combining to cease only at thosestations that are preprogrammed with decryption key information not onlyof J but also of Z, with all the benefits outlined at the end of example#2.

Placing particular so-called “soft switches,” one of which exists ateach subscriber station, all into one given original position, “off” or“on”, then transmitting a command that is processed selectively atselected stations and places said switches at said stations into theopposite position, “on” of “off”, makes it possible to transmit asubsequent command that returns said switches at said selected stations(and only said switches) to said original position without anyadditional selective processing.

Significant advantages of simplicity and speed are achieved by devisingsignal processing apparatus and methods that minimize the need forselective processing. With regard to said third combining synch command,for example, no step of decrypting is required to affect only thosestations that are preprogrammed with decryption key J. Accordingly, nopossibility exists that an error in decrypting may occur at one or moreof said stations, causing the combining of video RAM information andreceived video information, at said one or more, not to cease at theproper time and to continue beyond said time (until such time as somesubsequent command may execute “GRAPHICS OFF” or clear information fromsaid video RAM at said stations). Because no time is required fordecrypting, no possibility exists that some station may take longer (orshorter) than proper to perform decrypting causing the image of FIG. 1Ato be displayed at some monitor, 202M, longer (or shorter) than proper.Perhaps most important, because no time is required for selectiveprocessing of said third command, the time interval that separates thetime of embedding said third command at said remote station thatoriginates the “Wall Street Week” program and the time of ceasing causedby said command at URS microcomputers, 205, can be the shortest possibleinterval. Making it possible for said time interval to be the shortestpossible interval minimizes the chance that an error may occur in thetiming of the embedding of said third command at said remote stationcausing all URS microcomputers, 205, to cease combining at a time thatis other than the proper time.

Operating Signal Processor Systems . . . Example #5

Example #5 focuses on program unit identification signals detected atdecoders, 30 and 40, of signal processor, 200.

Signal processor, 200, is preprogrammed with information that identifieseach cable and over-the-air (hereinafter, “wireless”) transmission orfrequency in the locality of the subscriber station of FIG. 3 as well asthe standard broadcast and cablecast practices that apply on saidtransmissions and frequencies. Via a conventional multi-channel cabletransmission, in a fashion well known in the art, four channels ofconventional television programming and two conventional FM radiosignals are inputted to a first alternate contact of switch, 1, and tomixer, 2. Said television channels are transmitted normally assigned tochannels 2, 4, 7, and 13 of the television frequency spectrum. Saidradio signals are transmitted on 99.0 MHz and 100.0 MHz of the FMfrequency spectrum. Via a conventional television receiving antenna,three conventional wireless television transmissions are inputted to thesecond alternate contact of switch, 1. Said wireless transmissions areon the frequencies of the television spectrum normally assigned tochannels 5, 9, and 13. In a predetermined fashion, controller, 20,controls oscillator, 6, to sequence local oscillator, 6, in the pattern:cable channel 2, cable channel 4, cable channel 7, cable channel 13,wireless channel 5, wireless channel 9, wireless channel 13, then torepeat said pattern.

In example #5, the “Wall Street Week” combining synch commands aretransmitted unencrypted as in the first example, and the “Wall StreetWeek” program is transmitted on the frequency of channel 13 by awireless broadcast station whose transmission is retransmitted on thefrequency of channel 13 on said cable. Thus a viewer can tune to the“Wall Street Week” program on either wireless channel 13 or cablechannel 13. Simultaneously, different programs are transmitted on eachof the other television and radio transmissions.

Controller, 20, has preprogrammed the RAM associated with the controlprocessor, 39J, of the controller, 39, of decoder, 30, with bitinformation of a channel mark associated with each transmission oftelevision programming received at decoder, 30. (While wireless channel13 and cable channel 13 may transmit the same programming, they havedifferent channel marks.) At said RAM, said control processor, 39J,maintains, associated with appropriate channel mark information, monitorinformation records of the last command containing meter-monitor programidentification information inputted via each channel transmission. Saidrecords include program unit identification information. At the outsetof the example, no transmission of “Wall Street Week” program unitidentification information has yet occurred, and the program unitinformation associated with the source mark of wireless channel 13 and,separately, with the source mark of cable channel 13 is the unitinformation of the television programming transmitted immediately beforethe start of the “Wall Street Week” transmission.

At the outset of example #5, the contact lever of switch, 1, isconnected to said first alternate contact of witch, 1, to which isinputted the full spectrum of frequencies transmitted on said cable, andmixer, 3, is set to select the frequency of channel 13. Thustransmissions on cable channel 13 are inputted to decoder, 30.Furthermore, the EOFS valve, 39F, of controller, 39, of decoder, 30, hasidentified an end of file signal embedded in the inputted channel 13transmission and is set to receive transfer SPAM message information;the matrix switch, 39I, of said controller, 39, is set to transfer SPAMmessage information from said EOFS valve, 39F, to said controlprocessor, 39J; and said control processor, 39J is set to receive andprocess header information of a SPAM message.

Example #5 begins with the embedding and transmitting, at the remotestation that originates the “Wall Street Week” broadcast, of the firstmessage of the “Wall Street Week” program which is the message of thefirst combining synch command. The transmission of said broadcast isreceived at the remote cable transmission station that transmits themulti-channel cable transmission inputted to signal processor, 200;combined into the full spectrum cable transmission on the frequency ofchannel 13; and retransmitted. Said cable transmission is inputted viasaid first alternate contact of switch, 1, and said contact lever tomixer, 3. Mixer, 3, selects the frequency of channel 13 and inputs saidfrequency of interest, at a fixed frequency, to TV signal decoder, 30.

Receiving said frequency of interest causes decoder, 30, (which is shownin greater detail in FIG. 2A and whose controller, 39, is shown ingreater detail in FIG. 3A) to receive and process the commandinformation of said first message. The inputted frequency of channel 13is inputted, first, to filter, 31, which filters said input and outputsthe one TV channel signal of channel 13 to amplitude demodulator, 32.Demodulator, 32, demodulates said inputted channel signal using standarddemodulator techniques and transfers the demodulated channel signal ofsaid channel 13 to digital detector, 38; line receiver, 33; and audiodemodulator, 35. Thereafter, the embedded information of the firstcombining synch command is caused to be recorded at theSPAM-input-signal register memory of the control processor, 39J, of saiddecoder, 30, in the same fashion that the embedded information of saidmessage is detected and recorded at decoder, 203, in example #3.Receiving said embedded information causes the binary SPAM informationof said first command, with error correcting information, to be detectedat detector, 34; checked and corrected, as necessary, at processor, 39B;converted into locally usable binary information at processor, 39D; andrecorded at the SPAM-input-signal memory of said control processor, 39J.

The control apparatus of decoder, 30, is preprogrammed to process saidinformation as monitor information and local control information.(Hereinafter, said first command may be called the 1st command (#5).)Receiving said first command causes the preprogrammed instructions atthe RAM and ROM associated with control processor, 39J, to cause controlprocessor, 39J, to process the information of said command in thefollowing fashion. In a predetermined fashion, control processor, 39J,locates the monitor information that it retains in said RAM associatedwith the channel mark of cable channel 13 and compares the “program unitidentification code” of said first command with the program unitinformation of said monitor information in RAM. No match results whichindicates cable channel 13 is transmitting a new program unit. Notresulting in a match causes said controller, 39, automatically totransfer information of new programming to microcomputer, 205, and totransfer to buffer/comparator, 14, for further processing said monitorinformation in RAM which is monitor information of the programmingtransmitted on cable channel 13 prior to the “Wall Street Week” program.Automatically, said control processor, 39J, causes matrix switch, 39I,to cease transferring information from said EOFS valve, 39F, to controlprocessor, 39J, and commence transferring information from controlprocessor, 39J, to buffer/comparator, 8, (to which said matrix switch,39I, has capacity to transfer information). Automatically said controlprocessor, 39J, transmits a message that consists of binary informationof a “00” header (indicating a command with execution and meter-monitorsegments) then the execution segment information of the pseudo commandthen a meter-monitor segment containing said monitor information in RAM(including the associated channel mark and the format information ofsaid information) then any padding bits required to end said message.(Hereinafter, said message whose transmission is caused by receivingsaid first command is called the “1st-old-program-command (#5).”) Then,in a predetermined fashion, control processor, 39J, determines that saidfirst command contains subject matter meter-monitor information causingsaid control processor, 39J, to transmit a message that consists ofbinary information of a “00” header then particular execution segmentinformation that is addressed to microcomputer, 205, (and that causesmicrocomputer, 205, to process the information of the meter-monitorsegment immediately following said execution segment information as newprogramming now being transmitted on the channel of the channel mark ofsaid meter-monitor segment segment) then meter-monitor segmentinformation that includes the “program unit identification code” andsubject matter information of said first command and the channel mark ofcable channel 13 as well as appropriate meter-monitor format informationthen any padding bits required to end said message. (Said message whosetransmission is caused by receiving said first command enablesmicrocomputer, 205, in a fashion described more fully below, to tuneautomatically to receive the program that said “program unitidentification code” identifies if said program is of interest, and saidmessage is called, hereinafter, the “1st-new-program-message (#5)”.)Then said control processor, 39J, deletes from said RAM all informationof said monitor information in RAM except the information of saidchannel mark and records at said RAM, associated with said channel mark,the meter-monitor segment information of the information at saidSPAM-input-signal memory, which is said first command, but replaces themeter-monitor format information that is recorded with new formatinformation that reflects the addition of a channel mark. Finally,controller, 39J, transmits particular detection-complete information tocontroller, 20; causes all apparatus of decoder, 30, except said RAM tocease receiving SPAM message information and delete all informationreceived on said frequency of interest (that is, cable channel 13); andcauses said matrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring information fromsaid control processor, 39J, to said buffer/comparator, 8, and commencetransferring SPAM message information from EOFS valve, 39F, to its nulloutput.

Receiving said detection-complete information causes controller, 20, tocause oscillator, 6, to cause the selection of the next channel in thepredetermined television channel selection pattern: wireless channel 5.Automatically oscillator, 6, causes switch, 1, to shift its contactlever from the first alternate contact to the second alternate contactto which wireless transmissions are inputted and causes mixer, 3, toselect the frequency of channel 5 and input said frequency of interest,at a fixed frequency, to decoder, 30. Controller, 20, then transmits aparticular preprogrammed wireless-5 instruction to said controlprocessor, 39J, that informs said processor, 39J, wireless channel 5 isinputted to decoder, 30.

Receiving said wireless-5 instruction causes control processor, 39J, tocause all apparatus of decoder, 30, to commence receiving, detecting,and processing SPAM message information embedded in the inputtedfrequency of interest.

When the input of wireless channel 5 to decoder, 30, commences, theremote wireless station transmitting the channel 5 transmission istransmitting the embedded signal information of an information segmentfollowing a SPAM command. Shortly thereafter, embedded signalinformation of an end of file signal then a combining synch command witha “01” header is transmitted on wireless channel 5. Said commandinstructs ITS controller/computers, such as 73 in FIG. 6 (except thatthe intermediate transmission station of this transmission is a wirelesstransmission station rather than a cable station), to load and run thecontents of the information segment following said command. Themeter-monitor field of said command contains no subject matterinformation but identifies a particular super market chain commercialprogram unit.

Receiving the inputted frequency of interest of wireless channel 5 atdecoder, 30, causes filter, 31, to filters the inputted fixed frequencyand output the one TV channel signal of channel 5 to amplitudedemodulator, 32; causing demodulator, 32, to demodulate said inputtedchannel signal and transfer the demodulated signal to line receiver, 33;causing line receiver, 33, to detect said embedded signal informationand transmit it to digital detector, 34; causing digital detector, 34,to detect the binary information of said signal information and transfersaid binary information to controller, 39. Receiving said binaryinformation at controller, 39, causes the binary SPAM information of thewireless channel 5 transmission to be checked and corrected, asnecessary, at processor, 39B; converted into locally usable binaryinformation at processor, 39D; and checked for end of file signalinformation at EOFS valve, 39F, and transmitted to the null output ofmatrix switch, 39I, until EOFS valve, 39F, detects an end of filesignal.

In due course, said EOFS valve, 39F, receives the aforementioned end offile signal causing said valve, 39F, to detect said signal and transmitthe aforementioned interrupt signal of EOFS-signal-detected informationto said control processor, 39J. Receiving said EOFS-signal-detectedinformation causes control processor, 39J, to transmit theaforementioned discard-and-wait instruction to EOFS valve, 39F, and tocause said matrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring SPAM messageinformation from said EOFS valve, 39F, to its null output informationand commence transferring SPAM message information from said valve, 39F,to said control processor, 39J. Receiving said instruction causes saidvalve, 39F, to set the information at the EOFS WORD Counter of saidvalve, 39F, to “00000000” (thereby discarding information of said end offile signal) and to transmit the aforementioned complete-and-waitinginformation to control processor, 39J, as an interrupt signal. Receivingsaid complete-and-waiting information causes control processor, 39J, totransmit the aforementioned reopen-flow instructions to EOFS valve, 39F,causing said valve, 39F, to recommence processing inputted signal wordsin its preprogrammed fashion and transferring said words to matrixswitch, 39I, and control processor, 39J, commences waiting to receivefrom said valve the binary information of a subsequent SPAM header.

The command that then follows on wireless channel 5 contains one exampleof an execution segment that invokes no controlled functions at thestation of FIG. 3. Said command is addressed to intermediatetransmission station controller/computers. Its instructions control,among others, the controller/computer of the remote station transmittingthe wireless channel 5 transmission. (FIG. 6 shows one example of such acontroller/computer, 73.) The subscriber station of FIG. 3 is anultimate subscriber station, and the commands that invoke controlledfunctions at the computer of the station of FIG. 3 are those that areaddressed to URS microcomputers, 205.

Nevertheless, control processor, 39J, of decoder, 30, certainly hascapacity to process the meter-monitor information of said command forinformation that identifies the programming in which it is embedded.(Hereinafter, said command is called the “2nd command (#5).”)

Receiving the binary information of said command causes controlprocessor, 39J, to record said binary information at saidSPAM-input-signal register memory then locate and compare the “programunit identification code” of said command with the program unitinformation of the monitor information that it retains in said RAMassociated with the channel mark of wireless channel 5. Said “code”identifies a particular super market chain commercial program unit andbecause no information of said “code” has previously been received atcontrol processor, 39J, no match results. Not resulting in a matchcauses said control processor, 39J, to cause matrix switch, 39I, tocease transferring information from said EOFS valve, 39F, to controlprocessor, 39J, and commence transferring information from controlprocessor, 39J, to buffer/comparator, 8; to transmit a message thatconsists of binary information of a “00” header then the executionsegment information of the pseudo command then a meter-monitor segmentcontaining said monitor information in RAM (including the associatedchannel mark and the format information of said information) then anypadding bits required to end said message (which message is called,hereinafter, the “2nd-old-program-message (#5)”); to determine that saidcommand does not contain subject matter meter-monitor information(causing said control processor, 39J, not to transmit a message thatenables microcomputer, 205, to tune receiver apparatus automatically butto transmit a new program message for processing by buffer/comparator,14, alone); and to transmit a message that consists of binaryinformation of a “00” header then the execution segment information ofthe pseudo command then meter-monitor segment information that includesthe “program unit identification code” of said 2nd command (#5) and thechannel mark of cable channel 13 as well as appropriate meter-monitorformat information then any padding bits required to end said message(which message is called, hereinafter, the “2nd-new-program-message(#5)”) Automatically, said control processor, 39J, then deletes fromsaid RAM all information of said monitor information in RAM except theinformation of said channel mark and records at said RAM, associatedwith said channel mark, the meter-monitor segment information of theinformation at said SPAM-input-signal memory, which is said 2nd command(#5), but replaces the meter-monitor format information that is recordedwith new format information that reflects the addition of a channelmark. Finally, controller, 39J, transmits particular detection-completeinformation to controller, 20; causes all apparatus of decoder, 30,except said RAM to cease receiving SPAM message information and deleteall information received on said wireless channel 5; and causes saidmatrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring information from said controlprocessor, 39J, to said buffer/comparator, 8, and commence transferringSPAM message information from EOFS valve, 39F, to its null output.

Said detection-complete information causes controller, 20, to causeoscillator, 6, to cause the selection of the next channel in thepredetermined television channel selection pattern: wireless channel 9.Automatically oscillator, 6, causes mixer, 3, to select the frequency ofchannel 9 and input said frequency of interest, at a fixed frequency, todecoder, 30. Controller, 20, then transmits a particular preprogrammedwireless-9 instruction to said control processor, 39J, that informs saidprocessor, 39J, wireless channel 9 is inputted to decoder, 30.

Receiving said wireless-9 instruction causes control processor, 39J, tocause all apparatus of decoder, 30, to commence receiving, detecting,and processing SPAM message information embedded in the inputtedfrequency of interest.

When the input of wireless channel 9 to decoder, 30, commences, theremote wireless station transmitting the channel 9 transmission istransmitting no signal information in the normal transmission pattern.

EOFS valve, 39F, of decoder, 30, waits to receive detected SPAM signalinformation, but none is transmitted by said remote wireless station.

Controller, 20, has capacity for keeping track of elapsed time, andafter determining in a predetermined fashion that a particularpredetermined period of time has elapsed from the input of wirelesschannel 9 to decoder, 30, controller, 20, automatically causes controlprocessor, 39J, to cause all apparatus of decoder, 30, cease receivingSPAM message information and delete all information received on saidwireless channel 9 and causes oscillator, 6, to cause the selection ofthe next channel in the predetermined television channel selectionpattern: wireless channel 13. Automatically, oscillator, 6, causesmixer, 3, to select the frequency of channel 13 and input said frequencyto decoder, 30. Controller, 20, then transmits a particularpreprogrammed wireless-13 instruction to said control processor, 39J,that informs said processor, 39J, wireless channel 13 is inputted todecoder, 30.

Receiving said wireless-13 instruction causes control processor, 39J, tocause all apparatus of decoder, 30, to commence receiving, detecting,and processing SPAM message information embedded in the inputtedfrequency of interest.

The remote wireless station transmitting the channel 13 transmission istransmitting the same “Wall Street Week” program that is transmitted bythe remote cable station transmitting the cable channel 13 transmission.When the input of wireless channel 13 to decoder, 30, commences, saidremote wireless station is still transmitting the binary information ofthe information segment following the first combining synch command ofsaid “Wall Street Week” program.

In due course said remote wireless station transmits the end of filesignal that terminates said information segment, and the EOFS valve,39F, of decoder, 30, receives and detects said signal, in its end offile detecting fashion, causing said valve, 39F, to transmit theaforementioned EOFS-signal-detected information to said controlprocessor, 39J. Just as applied in the case of the 2nd command (#5),receiving said EOFS-signal-detected information causes controlprocessor, 39J, to cause EOFS valve, 39F, to discard all information ofsaid end of file signal; to cause said matrix switch, 39I, to ceasetransferring SPAM message information from said EOFS valve, 39F, to itsnull output information and commence transferring SPAM messageinformation from said valve, 39F, to said control processor, 39J; thento cause EOFS valve, 39F, to recommence processing inputted signal wordsin its preprogrammed fashion and transferring said words to matrixswitch, 39I; and to commence waiting to receive from said switch, 39I,the binary information of a subsequent SPAM header.

Subsequently, said remote wireless station transmits the secondcombining synch command of the “Wall Street Week” program. (Hereinafter,said command may be called the “3rd command (#5).”)

Receiving the binary information of said command causes controlprocessor, 39J, to record said binary information at saidSPAM-input-signal register memory then locate and compare the “programunit identification code” of said command with the program unitinformation of the monitor information that it retains in said RAMassociated with the channel mark of wireless channel 13. Since this isthe first monitor information of the “Wall Street Week” program receivedat control processor, 39J, from an inputted wireless channel 13transmission, no match results. Not resulting in a match causes saidcontrol processor, 39J, automatically to cause matrix switch, 39I, tocease transferring information from said EOFS valve, 39F, to controlprocessor, 39J, and commence transferring information from controlprocessor, 39J, to buffer/comparator, 8, then to transmit a message thatconsists of binary information of a “00” header then the executionsegment information of the pseudo command then a meter-monitor segmentcontaining said monitor information in RAM (including the associatedchannel mark and the format information of said information) then anypadding bits required to end said message. (Hereinafter, said message iscalled the “3rd-old-program-message (#5)”.) Then, in a predeterminedfashion, control processor, 39J, determines that said command containssubject matter meter-monitor information causing said control processor,39J, to transmit a message that consists of binary information of a “00”header then the aforementioned execution segment information that isaddressed to microcomputer, 205, (and that causes microcomputer, 205, toprocess the information of the meter-monitor segment immediatelyfollowing said execution segment information as new programming nowbeing transmitted on the channel of the channel mark of saidmeter-monitor segment segment) then meter-monitor segment informationthat includes the “program unit identification code” and subject matterinformation of said command and the channel mark of wireless channel 13as well as appropriate meter-monitor format information then any paddingbits required to end said message. (Hereinafter, said message is calledthe “3rd-new-program-message (#5)”.) Then automatically said controlprocessor, 39J, deletes from said RAM all information of said monitorinformation in RAM except the information of said channel mark andrecords at said RAM, associated with said channel mark, themeter-monitor segment information of the information at saidSPAM-input-signal memory, which is said 3rd command (#5), but replacesthe meter-monitor format information that is recorded with new formatinformation that reflects the addition of a channel mark. Finally,controller, 39J, transmits particular detection-complete information tocontroller, 20; causes all apparatus of decoder, 30, except said RAM tocease receiving SPAM message information and delete all informationreceived on said frequency of interest (that is, wireless channel 13);and causes said matrix switch, 39I, to cease transferring informationfrom said control processor, 39J, to said buffer/comparator, 8, andcommence transferring SPAM message information from EOFS valve, 39F, toits null output.

Receiving said detection-complete information causes controller, 20, tocause oscillator, 6, to cause selection of the next channel in thepredetermined television channel selection pattern: cable channel 2.Automatically oscillator, 6, causes switch, 1, to shift its contactlever from the second alternate contact to the first alternate contactto which cable transmissions are inputted and causes mixer, 3, to selectthe frequency of channel 2 and to input said frequency of interest, at afixed frequency, to decoder, 30. Controller, 20, then transmits aparticular preprogrammed cable-2 instruction to said control processor,39J, that informs said processor, 39J, cable channel 2 is inputted todecoder, 30.

While TV signal decoder, 30, is processing signal information in videotransmissions inputted from switch, 1, and mixer, 3, radio signaldecoder, 40, is, in a similar fashion, processing SPAM information inradio transmissions inputted from mixer, 2.

(Radio signal decoder, 40, is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2B. Thecontroller, 44, of decoder, 40, is identical, in composition, to thecontroller, 39, of FIG. 3A. And the components of said controller, 44,are referred to, hereinafter, using the same alphanumeric identificationsystem that applies to the components of FIG. 3A. For example, thecontrol processor of said controller, 44, is referred to, hereinafter,as control processor, 44J.)

Controller, 20, has preprogrammed all apparatus of decoder, 40,appropriately to receive and process the SPAM information of said radiotransmission in the same fashion that controller, 30, receives andprocesses SPAM information embedded in its inputted televisiontransmissions. Control processor, 44J, controls all controlled apparatusof decoder, 40, and causes radio decoder, 42, to detect signalinformation in the normal radio transmission location. At the RAMassociated with the control processor, 44J, is bit information of achannel mark associated with each radio frequency transmission receivedat decoder, 40. (The frequency identification information of decoder,40, is called “channel marks” here rather than “frequency marks” forsimplicity of exposition.) At said RAM, control processor, 44J,maintains, associated with appropriate channel mark information, monitorinformation records of the last command containing meter-monitor programidentification information inputted via each frequency transmission.

At the outset of the example, mixer, 2, is selecting the frequency of100.0 MHz of the FM frequency spectrum and inputting said frequency, ata fixed frequency, to decoder, 40. EOFS valve, 44F, has identified anend of file signal embedded in the inputted 100.0 MHz frequencytransmission and is set to receive and transfer SPAM messageinformation. Matrix switch, 44I, is set to transfer SPAM messageinformation from EOFS valve, 44F, to control processor, 44J. And controlprocessor, 44J is set to receive and process header information of aSPAM message.

Subsequently, the remote FM radio station that originates the 100.0 MHzbroadcast embeds in the normal transmission location of its transmissionand transmits a SPAM message that consists of a “00” header; the pseudocommand execution segment; a meter-monitor segment that includesparticular program unit identification information, particular subjectmatter information, and particular appropriate meter-monitor formatinformation; and any required padding bits. (Hereinafter, the command ofsaid message is called the “4th command (#5).”) Said transmission isreceived at the remote cable transmission station that transmits themulti-channel cable transmission inputted to signal processor, 200;combined into the full spectrum cable transmission on the 100.0 MHzfrequency; and retransmitted. Mixer, 2, selects said 100.0 MHz frequencyof said transmission and inputs said frequency, at a fixed frequency, toradio signal decoder, 40.

Receiving said frequency causes decoder, 40, to detect and process thecommand information of said 4th command (#5). The inputted frequency ofchannel 13 is inputted, first, to radio receiver circuitry, 41, whichreceives the radio information of said frequency and inputs saidinformation to radio decoder, 42, which decodes the embedded signalinformation of said command and transmits said signal information todigital detector, 43, which detects the binary information with errorcorrecting bit information of said command and transfers said binary andbit information to controller, 44. Thereafter, the embedded informationof said command is caused to be recorded at the SPAM-input-signalregister memory of control processor, 44J, in the same fashion that theembedded information of the 1st command (#5) is detected and recorded atdecoder, 30. Receiving the embedded information of the 4th command (#5)causes the binary SPAM information of said command to be detected atdetector, 44; checked and corrected, as necessary, at processor, 44B;converted into locally usable binary information at processor, 44D; andrecorded at the SPAM-input-signal memory of said control processor, 44J.

Receiving said command causes the instructions preprogrammed at the RAMand ROM associated with control processor, 39J, to cause controlprocessor, 44J, to process the information of said command in thefollowing fashion. In a predetermined fashion, control processor, 44J,locates the monitor information that it retains in said RAM associatedwith the channel mark of the 100.0 MHz frequency and compares the“program unit identification code” of said command with the program unitinformation of said monitor information in RAM. No match results whichindicates a new program unit is being transmitted on said frequency. Notresulting in a match causes said controller, 44, automatically totransfer information of new programming to microcomputer, 205, and totransfer to buffer/comparator, 14, for further processing said monitorinformation in RAM which is monitor information of prior programmingtransmitted on said frequency. Automatically, said control processor,44J, causes matrix switch, 44I, to cease transferring information fromEOFS valve, 44F, to control processor, 44J, and commence transferringinformation from control processor, 44J, to buffer/comparator, 8, (towhich said matrix switch, 44I, has capacity to transfer information).Automatically said control processor, 44J, transmits a message thatconsists of binary information of a “00” header then the executionsegment information of the pseudo command then a meter-monitor segmentcontaining said monitor information in RAM (including the associatedchannel mark and the format information of said information) then anypadding bits required to end said message. (Hereinafter, saidtransmission of is called the “1st-old-radio-program-message (#5)”.)Then, in a predetermined fashion, control processor, 44J, determinesthat said command contains subject matter meter-monitor information,causing control processor, 44J, to transmit a message that consists ofbinary information of a “00” header then particular execution segmentinformation that is addressed to microcomputer, 205, (and that causesmicrocomputer, 205, to process the meter-monitor information of saidmessage as new programming now being transmitted on said 100.0 MHzfrequency) then meter-monitor segment information that includes the“program unit identification code” and subject matter information ofsaid first command and the channel mark of said 100.0 MHz frequency aswell as appropriate meter-monitor format information then any paddingbits required to end said message. (Said message is called, hereinafter,the “1st-new-radio-program-message (#5)”.) Then said control processor,44J, deletes from said RAM all information of said monitor informationin RAM except the information of said channel mark and records at saidRAM, associated with said channel mark, the meter-monitor segmentinformation of the information at said SPAM-input-signal memory, whichis said command, but replaces the meter-monitor format information thatis recorded with new format information that reflects the addition of achannel mark. Finally, controller, 44J, transmits particularradio-detection-complete information to controller, 20; causes allapparatus of decoder, 40, except said RAM to cease receiving SPAMmessage information and delete all information received on saidfrequency of interest (that is, frequency 100.0 MHz); and causes saidmatrix switch, 44I, to cease transferring information from said controlprocessor, 44J, to said buffer/comparator, 8, and commence transferringSPAM message information from EOFS valve, 44F, to its null output.

Said radio-detection-complete information causes controller, 20, tocause oscillator, 6, to cause the selection of the next frequency in thepredetermined radio frequency selection pattern: 99.0 MHz. Automaticallyoscillator, 6, causes mixer, 2, to select said frequency and input it,at a fixed frequency, to decoder, 40. Controller, 20, then transmits aparticular preprogrammed radio-99.0 instruction to control processor,44J, that informs said processor, 44J, 99.0 MHz is inputted to decoder,40.

Receiving said radio-99.0 instruction causes control processor, 44J, tocause all apparatus of decoder, 40, to commence receiving, detecting,and processing SPAM message information embedded in the inputtedfrequency of interest.

When the input of FM radio frequency 99.0 MHz to decoder, 40, commences,the remote station transmitting the 99.0 MHz radio transmission istransmitting no SPAM information in the normal transmission location.

EOFS valve, 44F, of decoder, 40, waits to receive detected SPAM signalinformation, but none is transmitted by said remote wireless station.

After determining, in a predetermined fashion, that a particularpredetermined period of time has elapsed from the input of said 99.0 MHzfrequency to decoder, 40, controller, 20, automatically causes controlprocessor, 44J, to cause all apparatus of decoder, 40, to cease actingto receive SPAM message information embedded in said frequency and todelete all information received on said frequency and causes oscillator,6, to cause the selection of the next frequency in the predeterminedradio frequency selection pattern: 100.0 MHz. Automatically, oscillator,6, causes mixer, 2, to select said frequency and input it, at a fixedfrequency, to decoder, 40. Controller, 20, then transmits a particularpreprogrammed radio-100.0 instruction to control processor, 44J, thatinforms said processor, 44J, 100.0 MHz is inputted to decoder, 40.

In the example, buffer/comparator, 8, receives from decoder, 30, the1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-old-program-message (#5) messages and the 1st-,2nd-, and 3rd-new-program-message (#5) messages and from decoder, 40,the 1st-old-radio-program-message (#5) and 1st-new-radio-program-message(#5) messages.

Receiving each one of said messages causes buffer/comparator, 8, first,to place said one at a particular received signal location atbuffer/comparator, 8, then to compare a particular portion the first Xbits immediately after the first H bits of said binary information(which X bits is the execution segment of said one) to theaforementioned particular comparison information in its automaticcomparing fashion. In each case, no match results which signifies thatnone of said messages instructs URS signal processors, 200, to decrypt.Not resulting in a match causes buffer/comparator, 8, to transfer eachone directly to controller, 12, as soon as controller, 12, becomesprepared to receive said one.

(The system of the present invention has capacity for processingencrypted SPAM program identification information; however, in thepreferred embodiment, the decryption of said information takes place atthe decryptors, 39K, 44K, or 47K, of the controllers, 39, 44, or 47, ofdecoders, 30, 40, or of FIG. 2C, before said decoders input theirdetected SPAM program identification information to buffer/comparators,8. Such decryption is affected in the fashion of the decryption of thefirst and second messages of example (#4) at decoder, 203.)

All eight of said messages are commands. The 1st- and3rd-new-program-message (#5) and the 1st-new-radio-program-message (#5)signals are addressed to microcomputer, 205. Each informs saidmicrocomputer of new programming transmissions to which saidmicrocomputer can tune appropriate station receiver and displayapparatus in fashions described below. (Hereinafter said commands arecalled “guide commands” because they can guide station control apparatusto desired programming.) By contrast, the 1st-, 2nd-, and3rd-old-program-message (#5) messages, the 2nd-new-program-message (#5),and the 1st-old-radio-program-message (#5) inform no station controlapparatus of new programming transmissions because said commands areaddressed to no apparatus; the execution segment of each is theaforementioned pseudo-command. (Hereinafter, each said signal is calleda “transparent command” because no subscriber station control apparatus“sees” said signal.)

Receiving each transparent or guide command from buffer/comparator, 8,causes controller, 12, (which is equipped with a matrix switch, 121, anda control processor, 12J, with associated RAM and ROM) to process each,in turn, in its preprogrammed fashions (which are similar to thepreprogrammed fashions of controller, 39, of decoder, 203). Receivingeach command causes controller, 12, to record said command at theSPAM-input-signal register memory of controller, 12, then to compare theexecution segment of each command to the aforementionedcontrolled-function-invoking-@12 information. Each execution segment ofa guide command matches particular preprogrammedtransfer-this-message-to-205-@12 information that invokes particularpreprogrammed instructions that cause controller, 12, to input themessage of said command to buffer, 39G, of controller, 39, of decoder,203. (Receiving said message causes said controller, 39, to inputinformation of said command to microcomputer, 205, thereby informingmicrocomputer, 205, that new programming of the particular subjectmatter and program identification unit identified of said guide commandis being transmitted on the channel of the channel mark of said guidecommand and causing microcomputer, 205, to process in a fashion that isdescribed more fully below.) Each execution segment of a transparentcommand matches particular preprogrammed pseudo-function-@12 informationthat invokes no particular preprogrammed controlled functioninstructions.

In example #5, controller, 12, is preprogrammed to process monitorinformation, and completing the controlled functions invoked by anygiven message causes controller, 12, automatically to process theinformation of said message as monitor information, in the fashion ofcontroller, 39, of decoder, 203, in example #3. Automatically aftertransmitting the last bit of each guide command or determining that theexecution segment of each transparent command invokes no controlledfunction, controller, 12, commences processing the information at saidSPAM-input-signal memory as monitor information. Automatically, controlprocessor, 12J, transfers to buffer/comparator, 14, via matrix switch,12 I, header information that identifies a transmission of monitorinformation of available programming then all of the information that isrecorded at said SPAM-input-signal memory. (In each example #5 case, theinformation that is transferred—together with its newly added headerinformation—continues to be called by its previously assigned name; forexample, the 1st-old-radio-program-message (#5).) Then controller, 12,from memory all information of said given message and commences waitingto receive the binary information of a subsequent message frombuffer/comparator, 8.

Particular ones of said eight messages convey first instances ofparticular program unit identification monitor information associatedwith particular channel marks. Said ones are the 1st-, 2nd-, and3rd-new-program-message (#5) messages and the1st-new-radio-program-message (#5). Others of said messages convey lastinstances of such information associated with said channel marks. Saidothers are the 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-old-program-message (#5) messages andthe 1st-old-radio-program-message (#5). (Hereinafter, monitorinformation messages that convey first instances of particular programunit identification information associated with particular channel marksare called “new programming messages,” and messages that convey lastinstance information are called “old programming messages.”)

Signal processor, 200, processes the monitor information of saidmessages in a fashion that is similar to the monitor informationprocessing of examples #3 and #4.

Receiving each of said eight messages (with said header information thatidentifies monitor information of available programming added) causesbuffer/comparator, 14, to determine that said header information matchesparticular preprogrammed monitor-information-identification information,causing buffer/comparator, 14, to input each message, in turn, toonboard controller, 14A.

Receiving any given old programming message causes onboard controller,14A, to execute particular preprogrammedprocess-monitor-info-of-available-programming instructions. Saidinstructions cause onboard controller, 14A, to determine that thechannel mark and program unit identification information in said oldprogramming message matches the channel mark and program unitidentification information of a selected monitor information recordpreviously initiated by a particular new programming message and toupdate the information of said selected record by modifying theinformation content of said record by adding and/or deleting and/orreplacing information in such a way that the information of said recordreflects to the fullest extent which particular programming is availableon which channels at the station of FIG. 3 (and at selected otherstations that are preprogrammed and preconfigured to collect monitorinformation) and by recording date and time information, received fromclock, 18, in such a way that the information of said record reflectswhen said particular programming is available. The programming monitoredfor availability and the information recorded can include not onlyprogramming identified by the aforementioned “program unitidentification codes” that identify television programs but also, forexample, computer programming information such as the information, inthe meter-monitor segment of the first combining synch command of the“Wall Street Week” example, that identifies the program instruction setthat follows said command and the supplier of said set.

Receiving any given new programming message causes onboard controller,14A, to determine that the program unit identification information insaid message does not match the program unit identification informationof that selected monitor information record whose channel mark matchesthe channel mark of said new programming message, causing onboardcontroller, 14A, automatically to cause signal processor, 200, to recordsaid selected monitor information record at recorder, 16, in the fashionthat onboard controller, 14A, caused signal processor, 200, to recordthe aforementioned record of prior programming upon receiving the 1stmonitor information (#3). Then, automatically, onboard controller, 14A,executes the aforementionedprocess-monitor-info-of-available-programming instructions. Saidinstructions cause onboard controller, 14A, to initiate a new monitorrecord that reflects the availability of the programming identified insaid new programming message. Automatically, said instructions causeonboard controller, 14A, to delete all information at the recordlocation of said selected monitor information record except the channelmark associated with said record and to record at said record locationthe “program unit identification-code” information of said newprogramming message, such other selected information of said newprogramming message that identifies other particular programming isavailable on the channel of said channel mark, and current date and timeinformation, received from clock, 18. In this fashion, the system of thepresent invention initiates records at the station of FIG. 3 (and atselected other stations that are preprogrammed and preconfigured tocollect monitor information) that reflect to the fullest extent whichparticular programming becomes available at said station (and said otherstations), on which channels, and when.

Operating Signal Process of Systems . . . Signal Record Transfer

In examples #3, #4, and #5, the transmission of SPAM signal informationcauses signal processor, 200, to transfer signal record information bytelephone to remote station computers. At the outset of each example,recorder, 16, has reached a level of fullness where recording the nextsignal record will cause the quantity of recorded information to equalor exceed the particular fullness information of said recorder, 16. Inexample #3 and #4, receiving the first message of the “Wall Street Week”program causes decoder, 203, to transfer to buffer/comparator, 14, the1st monitor information (#3) and the 1st meter & monitor information(#4), respectively, and receiving the 1st monitor information (#3) andthe 1st meter & monitor information (#4) causes buffer/comparator, 14,to transfer record information of the prior program displayed atmonitor, 202M, to recorder, 16, and causes recorder, 16, to record saidinformation. In example #5, receiving transmitted SPAM messageinformation causes decoders, 30 and 40, to transmit the1st-new-program-message (#5) and the 1st-new-radio-program-message (#5)messages, respectively, and receiving information of said1st-new-program-message (#5) and said 1st-new-radio-program-message (#5)causes buffer/comparator, 14, to transfer old programming recordinformation to recorder, 16, and causes recorder, 16, to record saidinformation. In each example, the transfer of the first recordinformation from buffer/comparator, 14, causes recorder, 16, to executethe automatic telephone signal record transfer sequence described above.

In each example, when the automatic processing caused by the receivedSPAM signal information reaches the point at which recorder, 16,finishes recording the first signal record information transferred frombuffer/comparator, 14, recorder, 16, measures the quantity of itsrecording capacity that holds signal records, in a predeterminedfashion, and determines that said quantity is equal to or greater thansaid particular fullness information. Said determining causes recorder,16, to transfer a particular instruct-to-call instruction to controller,20, that causes controller, 20, to activate telephone connection, 22,and proceed with a particular preprogrammed telephone signal recordtransfer sequence that is fully automatic.

The first stage of said sequence involves transferring audit informationto a particular first host computer at a first remote station.Controller, 20, transfers the telephone number, 1-800-AUDITOR, to autodialer, 24, and causes said dialer, 24, to dial said number. Said firstcomputer answers said telephone call, and in a fashion well known in theart, controller, 20, and said first computer automatically establishtelephone communications. Automatically, controller, 20, causestelephone connection, 22, to transfer particular identifying informationthat includes the unique digital identifying code of ROM, 21, to saidfirst computer followed by a particular instruct-to-receive signal. Saidinstruct-to-receive signal causes said first computer automatically toprepare to receive audit records then to transfer a particular startsignal via connection, 22, to controller, 20. Receiving said startsignal, sent automatically in response to controller, 20's,instruct-to-receive signal, causes controller, 20, to cause recorder,16, to transmit all recorded meter audit records and particular otheraudit information to telephone connection, 22, which causes saidconnection, 22, to transmit said records and information to said firstcomputer. When recorder, 20, transmits the last bit of said record andother information, recorder, 20, transmits particularfinished-with-first-stage information to controller, 20, which causescontroller, 20, to transmit a particular acknowledge receipt instructionto said first computer. Automatically said first computer determines, ina predetermined fashion, that the audit information has been receivedcorrectly and completely, and said determining causes said firstcomputer automatically to transmit a particular transmission completesignal to controller, 20. Receiving said complete signal causescontroller, 20, to cause telephone connection, 22, to terminate saidtelephone call. Then controller, 20, transfers information to recorder,16, that causes recorder, 16, to erase from memory all said record andother information that is not also meter charge information or monitorinformation.

Having completed the first stage, controller, 20, then commencesautomatically the second stage of said sequence which involvestransferring meter charge information to a particular second hostcomputer at a second remote station. Controller, 20, transfers thetelephone number, 1-800-CHARGES, to auto dialer; 24, and causes thedialing of said number. But said number is busy. Telephone connection,22, receives a telephone busy signal, well known in the art, andtransfers information of said signal to controller, 20. Receiving saidinformation causes controller, 20, to execute a preprogrammed redialsequence. Thereafter, whenever controller, 20, polls its input sourcesfor input signal information in a polling fashion well known in the art,it causes dialer, 24, regularly to redial said number. Controller, 20,continues said redialing until said second computer answers said call.

Said redial sequence does not prevent controller, 20, from proceedingwith other processing tasks; it merely defers execution of the remainingpreprogrammed instructions of the second stage. When said secondcomputer answers said call, controller, 20, will automatically executesaid remaining instructions.

Having deferred further execution of the second stage, controller, 20,proceeds to the third stage which involves transferring monitorinformation to a particular third host computer at a third remotestation. Controller, 20, causes the dialing of the telephone number,1-800-MONITOR, and establishes telephone communications with said thirdcomputer. Automatically, controller, 20, causes the transfer to saidthird computer of particular identifying information and a particularinstruct-to-receive signal causing said third computer to determine thatit is not prepared to receive information and to respond with aparticular call-back signal. Said call-back signal instructs controller,20, to defer further execution of the third stage until a particulardeferred time—the first waiting moment after 1:00 AM the followingmorning—and causes controller, 20, to execute a preprogrammedtime-check-and-determining sequence. Under control of said sequence, asa regular step in the sequence of the aforementioned polling fashion,controller, 20, checks the time of clock, 18, and determines whethersaid clock time is after said deferred time.

Having deferred further execution of the third stage, controller, 20,proceeds with other processing. The third stage is the final stage ofsaid automatic telephone signal record transfer sequence. Accordingly,controller, 20, starts polling for instructions and commences regularlyexecuting said redial and said time-check-and-determining sequences.

Subsequently, in the course of executing said redial instructions,controller, 20, and said second computer establish telephonecommunications in the fashion described in the first stage above.Controller, 20, then causes the transfer to said second computer ofparticular identifying information followed by a particularinstruct-to-receive signal causing said second computer to respond witha particular start signal that causes controller, 20, to cause thetransmitting of all recorded meter charge records to said secondcomputer. When recorder, 20, finishes transmitting meter chargeinformation, controller, 20, transmits a particular acknowledge receiptinstruction to said second computer. Automatically said second computerresponds with a particular transmission complete signal that causescontroller, 20, to terminate said telephone call then to cause recorder,16, to erase from memory all said meter charge information. Then, in apreprogrammed fashion, controller, 20, deactivates the redial sequenceinstruction portion of said polling sequence.

So completing the second stage causes controller, 20, once again tocommence polling for instructions.

Subsequently, controller, 20, determines that said clock time is aftersaid deferred time which causes controller, 20, automatically todeactivate said time-check-and-determining sequence and recommence saidthird stage. Automatically, controller, 20, reestablishes telephonecommunications with said third computer and causes said third computerto transfer to controller, 20, its particular start signal. Thencontroller, 20, causes the transmitting of all recorded monitor recordsto said third computer. When said transmitting is finished, controller,20, transmits a particular acknowledge receipt instruction to said thirdcomputer. Automatically said third computer responds with a particulartransmission complete signal that causes controller, 20, to terminatesaid telephone call then to cause recorder, 16, to erase from memory allsaid monitor record information.

Completing the final deferred instructions of said automatic telephonesignal record transfer sequence causes controller, 20, to end saidsequence and commence processing in the conventional fashion.

In examples #3 and #4 (and #5 if information of said1st-new-program-message (#5) reaches buffer/comparator, 14, before anyother instance of monitor information), receiving the first message ofthe “Wall Street Week” program causes the apparatus of the FIG. 3subscriber station to carry out said signal record transfer sequence.Simultaneously, other stations have reached a similar level of fullness,and said command causes said other stations also to execute saidtransfer sequence. Accordingly, not only does transmitting said firstmessage cause all the functions described above in example #3 and #4(and #5), transmitting said message also causes apparatus at one andmore subscriber stations to transfer recorded information selectively toone and more remote stations at the time of execution and at deferredtimes, causes computers at said stations to process said information,and causes said computers to transfer information, point-to-point, tosaid subscriber station apparatus.

Examples #3, #4, and #5 do not show the second message of the “WallStreet Week” program causing information to be recorded at the recorder,16, of the subscriber station of FIG. 3. Accordingly, said message doesnot cause apparatus of said station to transfer of record information toone or more remote station computers.

Nevertheless, it is clear from the above exposition that thetransmission of any SPAM command (including the pseudo command) thatincludes meter-monitor information can cause monitor record informationto be recorded at the recorder, 16, of selected stations and can causesignal processors, 200, at selected ones of said stations (that is, atstations where recorders, 16, equal or exceed particular fullnessinformation) to transfer meter and/or monitor record informationselectively to one or more remote stations and cause computers at saidstations to process the information in the fashions described herein.

(Indeed, as the above exposition makes clear, the impact of thetransmission of SPAM information can be yet more complex and meaningful.In example #4, receiving the second message does cause selected stationsto record monitor record information the recorders, 16, of saidstations. Said stations are those stations that are preprogrammed tocollect monitor information at which the first message is not decryptedbut the second message is; at which, as a consequence, program unitidentification information does not exist at SPAM-first-preconditionmemories and, hence, where FIG. 1C combinings fail to occur because thefirst precondition is not satisfied; and at which, as a consequence,receiving said second messages causes a 2nd monitor information (#4)transmission and causes processing of said 2nd monitor information (#4)at buffer/comparators, 14. At said stations, because no monitorinformation of the first “Wall Street Week” program message waspreviously processed—because none was decrypted—monitor recordinformation of prior programming still exists at saidbuffer/comparators, 14, when said 2nd monitor information (#4) isreceived at said buffer/comparators, 14. At selected ones of saidstations which ones where recorders, 16, will equal or exceed particularfullness information when the next instance of record information isrecorded, receiving said second message causes the recording of saidmonitor record information of prior programming, causes the transferringof meter and/or monitor record information selectively to one or moreremote stations, and causes computers at said stations to process theinformation in the fashions described herein.)

Regulating the Reception and Use of Programming . . . (Including Example#6)

Examples #2 and #4, above, illustrate methods of controlling encryptionand decryption means, well known in the art, within signal processingsystems to regulate (and meter) the reception and use of controlinstructions that generate combined medium overlay information and causecombinings to commence and cease at selected stations. Said means andmethods involve the operation of preprogrammed cipher keys (such as keysJ and Z) and cipher algorithms to decrypt transmitted information.

The present invention includes other apparatus and methods forregulating the reception and use of combined medium controlinstructions, and the apparatus and methods of the present inventionthat are used to control (and meter) combined medium communication canalso regulate the reception and use of prior art electronic programmingtransmissions.

In the prior art, various means and methods exist for regulating thereception and use of electronically transmitted programming. Variousscrambling means are well known in the art for scrambling, usually thevideo portion of analogue television transmissions in such a fashionthat only subscriber stations with appropriate descrambling means havecapacity to tune suitably to the television transmissions and displaythe transmitted television image information. Encryption/decryptionmeans and methods, well known in the art, can regulate the reception anduse of, for example, digital video and audio television transmissions,digital audio radio and phonograph transmissions, digital broadcastprint transmission, and digital data communications. Other techniques,well known in the art, involve controlling interrupt means that may beas simple as on/off switches to interrupt or disconnect programmingtransmissions at stations that lack authorizing information or aredetermined in other fashions not to be duly authorized. Still othertechniques, also well known in the art, involve controlling jammingmeans that spoil transmitted programming at stations that lackauthorizing information or are determined not to be duly authorized,thereby degrading the usefulness of said programming. Such othertechniques include, for example, inserting so-called “noise” into thetransmitted programming which noise may be, for example, overlays of oneor more separate transmissions.

The means and methods of the present invention for regulating receptionand use of programming relate, in particular, to three features of thepresent invention. The computer system of the present invention hascapacity at each subscriber station to compute station specificinformation based on preprogrammed information that exists at eachstation and that differs from station to station. Given this capacity,any central control station of the present invention that originates aSPAM transmission can cause subscriber station apparatus to decryptreceived SPAM information in different fashions with each stationdecrypting its received information is its own station specific fashion.A central station can cause different stations to compute differentstation specific decryption cipher keys and/or algorithms to use in anygiven step of decryption or to compute station specific key and/oralgorithm identification information that differs from station tostation and controls each station in identifying the key and/oralgorithm to use for any given step of decrypting. A second feature ofthe present invention is that effective SPAM processing depends on thecorrespondence between the transmitted SPAM information that causesprocessing at the subscriber stations and the information preprogrammedat the various stations that controls the SPAM processing at eachstation. In order for any given SPAM execution segment to invoke anygiven controlled function at any given station, the received binaryinformation of said segment (for example, “010011”) must matchpreprogrammed controlled-function-invoking information (“010011”) ateach station. This feature permits each station to be preprogrammed withstation specific controlled-function-invoking information that differsfrom station to station (which means that no single SPAM executionsegment could invoke a given function at all stations without firstbeing processed at selected stations to render its information tocorrespond to the station specific preprogrammed invoking information ofsaid stations). The third feature of the present invention is anextended system of means and methods for regulating the reception anduse of SPAM information—including decryption key and algorithminformation—that is illustrated in FIG. 4 and discussed more fullybelow.

By themselves, the first and second features provide a technique wherebya message such as the second message of the “Wall Street Week” programcan take affect at only selected stations (such as those stationspreprogrammed with decryption key J) without being decrypted at saidstations. (Hereinafter, this technique is called “covert control.”)

An example #6, that focuses on the second message of the “Wall StreetWeek” program and is set within the context of example #4, illustratesthe operation of covert control.

In examples #1, #2, #3, and #4, the information of the execution segmentof said second message, when unencrypted, is identical from example toexample. For example, if said information is “100110” in example #1, itis “100110” in example #3 and, after decryption, in examples #2 and #4.And the preprogrammed execute-conditional-overlay-at-205 informationthat said information of the execution segment matches when comparedwith controlled-function-invoking information is also “100110”.

But in example #6 the information of the execution segment of saidsecond message is different; for example, said information is “111111”.And the particular binary number that is selected—“111111” in theparticular example—is selected because no subscriber station ispreprogrammed, at the outset of the example, with anycontrolled-function-invoking information that is “111111”. (In otherwords, were said “111111” information of the execution segmenttransmitted without any other action taking place first, transmittingsaid information would cause no controlled function to be executed atany subscriber station because said information would not match anycontroller-function-invoking information at any station.)

In example #6, two particular messages are transmitted each of whichconsists of a “01” header; execution, meter-monitor, and informationsegments; and an end of file signal. (Hereinafter, said messages arecalled the “1st supplementary message (#6)” and the “2nd supplementarymessage (#6)”.) In each message, the information of said segments isencrypted prior to transmission in the same fashion that the informationof the first message of example #4 is encrypted, except that theencryption is done with key J rather than key Z and the encryptedinformation of the execution segment instructs subscriber stations todecrypt with key J.

The “Wall Street Week” program originating studio embeds and transmitsthe 1st supplementary message (#6) before transmitting said secondmessage.

Just as is the case with the first message of example #4, at thesubscriber station of FIG. 3 (and at other stations that arepreprogrammed with decryption key J), receiving the 1st supplementarymessage (#6) causes the apparatus of said station to decrypt saidmessage (using key J) and execute any controlled functions that areinvoked by the unencrypted execution segment of said message.Automatically, control processor, 39J, causes decryptor, 39K, to receivethe information of said message; decryptor, 39K, decrypts the encryptedinformation of said message and transfers said message to EOFS valve,39H; and EOFS valve, 39H, inputs the information of said message,unencrypted, to control processor, 39J, until the end of file signal ofsaid message is detected. Automatically, control processor, 39J,compares the unencrypted information of the execution segment in saidmessage to the aforementioned controlled-function-invoking information,and a match occurs with particular preprogrammed execute-at-39Jinformation that causes control processor, 39J, to execute particularpreprogrammed load-and-run-at-39J instructions.

Executing said instructions causes control processor, 39J, to record thereceived SPAM information of said 1st supplementary message (#6) in afashion similar to the recording of the first message of example #4except that the information of the information segment of said 1stsupplementary message (#6) is recorded at particular RAM associated withcontrol processor, 39J, rather than particular RAM of microcomputer,205. Automatically, control processor, 39J, records all remainingcommand information of said 1st supplementary message (#6) together withany padding bits immediately following said command at theaforementioned SPAM-input-signal register memory then continuesreceiving the SPAM information of said message and loads saidinformation (which is the information of the information segment of saidmessage) at particular working memory of said RAM associated withcontrol processor, 39J.

In due course, EOFS valve, 39H, receives complete information of the endof file signal that ends said 1st supplementary message (#6). Receivingsaid information causes EOFS valve, 39H, to transmit the aforementionedinterrupt signal of EOFS-signal-detected information to controlprocessor, 39J.

Receiving said signal while under control of said load-and-run-at-39Jinstructions causes control processor, 39J, to execute the informationof the information segment of said 1st supplementary message (#6) thatis loaded at said RAM as the so-called machine language instructions ofone so-called job.

Executing said information causes control processor, 39J, in thepredetermined fashion of the said information that is preprogrammed atsaid R&M at the time of execution by virtue of being so loaded prior tobeing so executed, to locate the location of that particular instance ofcontrolled-function-invoking information that is “100110” (which is theexecute-conditional-overlay-at-205 information that causes controlprocessor, 39J, to execute the controlled function of saidconditional-overlay-at-205 instruction) and modify the information atsaid location to be “111111”. (Simultaneously, other control processors,39J, and at other stations that are preprogrammed with decryption key Jexecute information of loaded information of said information segmentand modify information of the execute-conditional-overlay-at-205information, at said control processors, 39J, to be “111111”.)

In this fashion, the execute-conditional-overlay-at-205 information atthe control processors, 39J, of those selected subscriber stations thatare preprogrammed with information of decryption key J is altered fromits standard “100110” and becomes “111111”.

Accordingly, when the second message of the “Wall Street Week” programof example #6 is transmitted with its “111111” execution segment, saidmessage is processed at those stations that are preprogrammed with saidinformation of decryption key J precisely as the second message ofexample #3 is processed at said stations. (At all other stations, allinformation of said message is automatically discarded because the“111111” information of its execution segment fails to match anypreprogrammed controlled-function-invoking information.)

The “Wall Street Week” program originating studio embeds and transmitsthe 2nd supplementary message (#6) after transmitting said secondmessage.

At the subscriber station of FIG. 3 (and at other stations that arepreprogrammed with decryption key J), receiving said 2nd supplementarymessage (#6) causes precisely the same processing that is caused byreceiving the 1st supplementary message (#6) with just one exception.Whereas executing the loaded information of the information segment ofthe 1st supplementary message (#6) causes control processor, 39J, tolocate that instance of controlled-function-invoking information that is“100110” and modify the information at the location of said “100110” tobe “111111”, executing the loaded information of the information segmentof the 2nd supplementary message (#6) causes control processor, 39J, tolocate that instance of controlled-function-invoking information that is“111111” and modify the information at the location of said “111111” tobe “100110”.

In this fashion, the execute-conditional-overlay-at-205 information atthe control processors, 39J, of those selected subscriber stations thatare preprogrammed with information of decryption key J is returned toits standard value: “100110”. (Hereinafter, the normal binary value of agiven instance of information that invokes a preprogrammed function—suchas, for example, the “100110” that is the normal value of saidexecute-conditional-overlay-at-205 information—is called a “standardcontrol-invoking value”, and a value that temporary replaces a standardcontrol-invoking value in the course a covert control application—suchas “111111” in example #6—is called a “covert control-invoking value”.)

Covert control provides significant benefits. One benefit is speed. Forexample, when covert control is employed, no time is spent decryptingmessages (such as the second “Wall Street Week” message of examples #2or #4) that convey combining synch commands. Thus the shortest possibleinterval of time can exist between the moment when a given combiningsynch command (such as the command of said second message) is embeddedat the program originating studio and transmitted and the moment when itcauses combining at those selected stations at which it causescombining. A second benefit arises out of the capacity to repeat. Inexample #6, after transmitting said 1st supplementary message (#6) andcausing the covert control-invoking value, “111111”, to replace thestandard control-invoking value of theexecute-conditional-overlay-at-205 information at those selectedsubscriber stations that are preprogrammed with decryption key J, the“Wall Street Week” program originating studio can invoke theaforementioned conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions at said selectedstations not just once but many time by transmitting execution segmentsthat are “111111” before transmitting said 2nd supplementary message(#6) and causing the standard control-invoking value of saidexecute-conditional-overlay-at-205 information, “100110”, to replacesaid covert control-invoking value at said selected stations.

FIG. 4 shows the Signal Processing Programming Reception and UseRegulating System that is the third feature of the present invention.

The subscriber station of FIG. 4 has capacity for receiving wirelesstelevision programming transmissions at a conventional antenna, 199, anda multi-channel cable transmission at converter boxes, 201 and 222. Saidboxes, 201 and 222, are conventional cable converter boxes withcapacity, well known in the art, for receiving information of a selectedchannel of a multiplexed multi-channel transmission and converting theselected information to a given output frequency. The selected channelswhose information is received at said boxes, 201 and 222 respectively,are selected by tuners, 214 and 223 respectively, which are conventionaltuners, well known in the art, each with capacity for tuning to aselected channel. Antenna, 199, and boxes, 201 and 222, transmit theirreceived information to matrix switch, 258, which is a conventionalmatrix switch, well known in the art, with capacity for receivingmultiple inputs and outputting said inputs selectively to selectedoutput apparatus. One apparatus that said switch has capacity foroutputting to is television tuner, 215. However, the configuration FIG.4 differs from the configuration of FIGS. 1 and 3 in that televisiontuner, 215, outputs its audio and video outputs to said matrix switch,258, rather than to monitor, 202M, and divider, 4, respectively.Instead, in FIG. 4, it is said switch, 258, that outputs the informationthat is input to said monitor, 202M, and divider, 4. FIG. 4 shows fiveadditional devices—three decryptors, 107, 224 and 231, a signalstripper, 229, and a signal generator, 230—associated with matrixswitch, 258. Decryptors, 107, 224 and 231, are conventional decryptors,well known in the art, with capacity for receiving encrypted digitalinformation, decrypting said information by means of a selected cipheralgorithm and a selected cipher key, and outputting the decryptedinformation. Signal stripper, 229, is a conventional signal stripper,well known in the art, with capacity for receiving a transmission ofvideo information, removing embedded or otherwise inserted signalinformation selectively, and outputting the transmission absent theremoved information. Signal generator, 230, is a conventional signalinserter, well known in the art, with capacity for receiving atransmission of video information, embedding or otherwise insertingsignal information selectively, and outputting the transmission with theembedded or otherwise inserted information. Matrix switch, 258, hascapacity for outputting selected inputted transmissions to each saidfive devices, and each of said devices processes its inputtedinformation in its specific fashion and outputs its processedinformation to said switch, 258.

As FIG. 4 shows, signal processor, 200, controls all the aforementionedapparatus. Signal processor, 200, controls the tuning of tuners, 214,215, and 223; controls the switching of matrix switch, 258; suppliescipher algorithm and cipher key information to and controls thedecrypting of decryptors, 107, 224 and 230; controls signal stripper,229, in selecting transmission locations and/or information to strip andin signal stripping; and controls signal generator, 230, in selectingtransmission locations at which to insert signals, in generatingspecific signals to insert, and in inserting.

In addition, FIG. 4 also shows divider, 4, monitor, 202M, decoder, 203,and microcomputer, 205, all of which function and are controlled as inFIGS. 1 and 3.

Finally, FIG. 4 shows local input, 225, well known in the art, which hasmeans for generating and transmitting control information to controller,20, of signal processor, 100. The function of local input, 225, is toprovide means whereby a subscriber may input information to the signalprocessor of his subscriber station, thereby controlling the functioningof his personal signal processor system is specific predeterminedfashions that are described more fully below. In the preferredembodiment, local input, 225, is actuated by keys that are depressedmanually by the subscriber in the fashion of the keys of a so-calledtouch-tone telephone or the keys of a typewriter (or microcomputer)keyboard. As FIG. 4 shows, microcomputer, 205, also has capacity forinputting control information to microcomputer, 205, via decoder, 203,and in the preferred embodiment, microcomputer, 205, may alsoautomatically substitute for local control, 225, in predeterminedfashions in inputting control information to said controller, 20, on thebasis of preprogrammed instructions and information previously inputtedto said microcomputer, 205.

Operating S. P. Regulating Systems . . . Example #7

Example #7 illustrates the operation of the signal processing regulatingsystem of FIG. 4 and demonstrates the interaction of the aforementionedfirst and third features of the present invention—the capacity tocompute station specific information at each subscriber station and thesystem of regulating (and metering) means and methods that isillustrated in FIG. 4.

In example #7, the program originating studio that originates the “WallStreet Week” transmission transmits a television signal that consists ofso-called “digital video” and “digital audio,” well known in the art.Prior to being transmitted, the digital video information is doublyencrypted, by means of particular cipher algorithms A and B and cipherkeys Aa and Ba, in such a way that said information requires decryptionat subscriber stations in the fashion described below. The digital audiois transmitted in the clear. Said studio transmits the information ofsaid program to a plurality of intermediate transmission stations byso-called “landline” means and/or Earth orbiting satellite transpondermeans, well known in the art.

Each of said intermediate transmission stations receives thetransmission originated by said studio and retransmits the informationof said transmission to a plurality of ultimate receiver stations.

In example #7, the intermediate station that retransmits “Wall StreetWeek” program information to the subscriber station of FIG. 4 is a cabletelevision system head end (such as the head end of FIG. 6). Prior toretransmission, said station encrypts the digital audio information ofsaid transmission, in a fashion well known in the art, using particularcipher algorithm C and cipher key Ca, then transmits the information ofsaid program on cable channel 13, commencing at a particular 8:30 PMtime on a particular Friday night.

In example #7, the controller, 20, of the signal processor, 200, of FIG.4 is preprogrammed at a particular time with particular information thatindicates that the subscriber of said station wishes to view said “WallStreet Week” program when transmission of said program on cable cable 13commences.

(So preprogramming controller, 20, can occur in several fashions. Forexample, prior to a particular time, a subscriber may enter, particularplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information at localinput, 225, and cause said information, in a predetermined fashion, tobe inputted to controller, 20, by local input, 225. Alternately,microcomputer, 205, can be preprogrammed with particular specific-WSWinformation and, in a predetermined fashion that is described more fullybelow, caused to input saidplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information to saidcontroller, 20.)

Receiving any given instance ofplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information causescontroller; 20, in a predetermined fashion, to select particularWSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information in said received information,record said selected information at particular memory, and executeparticular receive-authorizing-info-at-appointed-time instructions.

In a predetermined fashion, executing said instructions causescontroller, 20, causes prepare to receive a particular enabling SPAMmessage at a particular time. Automatically, controller, 20, checks thetime of the clock, 18, of signal processor, 200, periodically. At aparticular commence-enabling time that is a predetermined interval priorto the aforementioned 8:30 PM time (when said originating studiocommences transmitting the “Wall Street Week” program), controller, 20,causes all apparatus of the TV signal decoder, 30, to delete from memoryall information of received SPAM information; transmits particularpreprogrammed enable-next-program-on-CC13 information to the controlprocessor, 39J, of said decoder, 30, and causes said control processor,39J, to place one instance of said information at a particularcontrolled-function-invoking information location; causes theoscillator, 6, then to cause switch, 1, and mixer, 3, to selectinformation of a particular master cable control channel (that may ormay not be cable channel 13) from the multi-channel cable systemtransmission inputted to signal processor, 200, and to input saidselected to TV signal decoder, 30; causes said control processor, 39J,to cause digital detectors, 34, 37, and 38, to cease inputting detectedinformation to controller, 39, and commence discarding said information(which, said detectors, 34, 37, and 37, have capacity to do) and tocause particular apparatus of decoder, 30, —for example, line receiver,33, and digital detector, 34—to commence receiving and inputting tocontroller, 39, SPAM information detected in the frequency inputted todecoder, 30; causes said control processor, 39J, to commence waiting toreceive the header information of a SPAM message; and places oneinstance of said enable-next-program-on-CC13 information at a particularcontrolled-function-invoking-@20 information location.

In the interval between said commence-enabling time and said 8:30 PMtime, said head end is caused, in a predetermined fashion, to transmit aparticular enabling SPAM message that consists of a “01” header,execution segment information that matches saidenable-next-program-on-CC13 information, particular meter-monitorinformation, information segment information of particular enable-CC13instructions and particular enable-WSW instructions that includeparticular enable-WSW-programming information, and an end of file signalon the frequency of said master control channel. (Hereinafter saidmessage is called the “local-cable-enabling-message (#7).”)

In the fashions described above, so transmitting said SPAM messagecauses signal processor, 200, at decoder, 30, (to which said mastercontrol channel is inputted), to detect the information of said message,select the information of the execution segment in said message, anddetermine that said selected information matches the aforementionedinstance of enable-next-program-on-CC13 information at said particularcontrolled-function-invoking information location. So determining amatch causes the control processor, 39J, to execute particularpreprogrammed transfer-this-message-to-controller-20 instructions thatare associated with the instance of information at said particularlocation.

The matrix switch, 39I, of the controller, 39 of decoder, 30, hascapacity to transfer information to controller, 20, via controltransmission means and executing said instructions causes said controlprocessor, 39J, to cause the transfer of the information of said messageto controller, 20, in the fashion in which information of first messageof example #4 is transferred from control processor, 39J, and buffer,39E (by way of EOFS valve, 39F), via matrix switch, 39I, to decryptor,39K.

Receiving said message causes controller, 20, to load the enable-CC13instructions and the enable-WSW instructions of the information segmentof said message at particular RAM of controller, 20, and execute saidinstructions as the machine language instructions of one job.Automatically, controller, 20, selects the information of the executionsegment in said message, determines that said selected informationmatches the aforementioned instance of enable-next-program-on-CC13information at said particular controlled-function-invoking-@20information location, executes particular preprogrammed load-and-run-@20instructions that are associated with the instance of information atsaid particular location, loads the information of the informationsegment of said message—which information is said enable-CC13instructions—at said RAM, and executes the information so loaded. (Theprocess of so receiving, loading, and executing the information of saidmessage proceeds at controller, 20, in the fashion of the receiving,loading, and executing the information of the aforementioned 1stsupplementary message (#6) at the apparatus of the controller, 39, ofdecoder, 203, following the transfer of the converted information ofsaid 1st supplementary message (#6) by the processor, 39D, of saidcontroller, 39.)

Executing said enable-CC13 instructions at controller, 20, in thisfashion, causes controller, 20, to sample selected preprogrammed SPAMinformation of the station of FIG. 4 and determine whether unauthorizedtampering has occurred at said station. Automatically, in thepredetermined fashion of the said instructions, controller, 20, selectsinformation of the unique digital code at ROM, 21, that identifiessignal processor, 200, and the subscriber station of FIG. 4 uniquely;computes the quotient that results from dividing said selectedinformation by 65,536 (which is 2 raised to the 16th power); selects theinteger portion of said quotient; branches, in a branching fashion wellknown in the art, to a selected one of a plurality of subroutines ofsaid enable-CC13 instructions on the basis of the value of said integer;and executes said selected one subroutine. Executing said subroutinecauses controller, 20, in a predetermined fashion, to select informationof a particular sixteen contiguous bit locations that containinformation of said enable-CC13 instructions and compare said selectedinformation to selected information of a particular sixteen contiguousbit locations that hold preprogrammed SPAM operating information. (Saidcontiguous bit locations that hold preprogrammed SPAM operatinginformation may be bit locations at any signal processing RAM or ROM atthe station of FIG. 4, such as, for example, the RAM of controller, 20;the RAM of controller, 12; the RAM associated with the controlprocessor, 39J, of decoder, 203; the RAM associated with the processor,39B, of the decoder, 30, of signal processor, 200; etc.) A matchindicates that said sixteen contiguous bit locations that holdpreprogrammed SPAM operating information are preprogrammed withproperly. A match occurs at the station of FIG. 4.

(Simultaneously other stations compare information of other selectedinformation of bit locations that contain information of saidenable-CC13 instructions with information of other local bit locationsthat hold preprogrammed SPAM operating information. At each stationwhere a match fails to occur—which suggests that the preprogrammed SPAMoperating information of said station has been tampered with in anunauthorized fashion—not resulting in a match causes the controller, 20,of said station to cause all information of saidlocal-cable-enabling-message (#7) to be erased from all memory of saidstation except for a particular portion of said enable-CC13 instructionsloaded at the RAM of said controller, 20, then to execute theinformation of said portion as information of a so-called “machinelanguage job”. Erasing said information from memory prevents theapparatus of said station from decrypting the encrypted information ofsaid “Wall Street Week” program, and executing said portion causes saidcontroller, 20, to cause the auto dialer, 24, and telephone connection,22, to establish telephone communications with a particularpredetermined remote station, in the fashion described above in“Operating Signal Processor Systems . . . Signal Record Transfer,” andcauses controller, 20, then to transmit information of theaforementioned unique digital code at ROM, 21, that identifies saidstation and signal processor, 200, of said station uniquely as well asparticular predetermined appearance-of-tampering information.Transmitting said unique code and appearance-of-tampering informationenables apparatus at said remote station to identify said remotestation. If telephone communications are not established with saidremote station in a predetermined fashion and/or within a predeterminedtime interval, executing said portion causes said controller, 20, toerase all preprogrammable RAM and EPROM of the signal processingapparatus at said station, thereby disabling said apparatus.)

Resulting in a match causes controller, 20, to execute a particularportion of said enable-CC13 instructions.

Executing the instructions of said portion causes controller, 20, in thepredetermined fashion of the said portion, to cause selected apparatusof the station of FIG. 4 to receive the cable channel 13 transmission,to cause selected apparatus to decrypt the audio portion of saidtransmission, to cause selected apparatus to commence waiting to receivefurther enabling information, and to create a meter record thatdocuments the decryption of the cable audio transmission at the stationof FIG. 4. Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrix switch, 258, tocease transferring video and audio information to monitor, 202M. Then,automatically, controller, 20, causes a selected tuner, 214, to tune tothe frequency of cable channel 13, thereby causing its associatedconverter box, 201, to convert its received information of saidfrequency (which information is received by means of its multi-channelcable system transmission input) to a selected output frequency andtransfer said information at said frequency to matrix switch, 258. (Saidselected tuner, 214, said selected frequency, and all other apparatusand/or modes of operation selected by controller, 20, under control ofthe information of said information segment are selected inpredetermined fashions.) Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrixswitch, 258, to transfer the information inputted from said box, 201, tothe output that outputs to television tuner, 215, and causes said tuner,215, to tune to said selected frequency, thereby causing said tuner,215, to receive the information of cable channel 13 and output the audioand video portions of said information to matrix switch, 258, on theseparate audio and video outputs of said tuner, 215. Automatically,controller, 20, causes matrix switch, 258, to transfer the informationof said audio portion inputted from said tuner, 215, to the output thatoutputs to a selected decryptor, 107, thereby causing said decryptor,107, to receive the information of said audio portion (said informationbeing, as explained above, encrypted digital audio). Automatically,controller, 20, selects information of cipher key Ca from among theinformation of said portion; transfers said cipher key information todecryptor, 107; and causes decryptor, 107, to commence decrypting itsreceived audio information, using said key information and selecteddecryption cipher algorithm C, and outputting decrypted information ofthe audio portion of the “Wall Street Week” program transmission tomatrix switch, 258. Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrix switch,258, to transfer the information inputted from decryptor, 107, to theoutput that that outputs to signal processor, 200, thereby causingsignal processor, 200, to receive said information at a particular thirdalternate contact of switch, 1, (that is not shown in FIG. 2).Automatically, controller, 20, clears all information of any prior SPAMmessage from decoder, 30; causes switch, 1, to connect to said thirdcontact, thereby inputting said information to mixer, 3; and causesmixer, 3, (by control transmission means via oscillator, 6) to transfersaid information without any modification; causes the control processor,39J, of decoder, 30, to cause the filter, 31, and modulator, 32, totransfer said information without any modification; causes said controlprocessor, 39J, to cause digital detectors, 34 and 37, to ceaseinputting detected information to controller, 39, and commencediscarding said information and to cause digital detector, 38, tocommence inputting detected information to controller, 39; and causessaid control processor, 39J, to commence waiting to receive the headerinformation of a SPAM message. Then automatically, said enable-CC13instructions cause controller, 20, to execute said enable-WSWinstructions.

Executing said enable-WSW instructions causes controller, 20, to causethe control processor, 39J, of said decoder, 30, to place one instanceof said enable-WSW-programming information (that said enable-WSWinstructions include) at the particular controlled-function-invokinginformation location occupied by said enable-next-program-on-CC13information (thereby overwriting said information), and said instructioncause controller, 20, to places one instance of saidenable-WSW-programming information at the particularcontrolled-function-invoking-@20 information location occupied by saidenable-next-program-on-CC13 information (thereby overwriting saidinformation at said location, too).

Finally, controller, 20, completes execution of all information of theinformation segment of local-cable-enabling-message (#7) loaded atcontroller, 20, then in the fashion of the first message of example #4,controller, 20, processes automatically the information of themeter-monitor segment as meter information, causes a meter record ofprior programming to be transferred from buffer/comparator, 14, andrecorded at recorder, 16, (and causes the aforementioned signal recordtransfer sequence if recorder, 16, equals or exceeds if predeterminedlevel of fullness); causes information of the meter-monitor segment tobe placed at particular locations of buffer/comparator, 14, therebycreating a meter record that records the decryption of the audio portionof the “Wall Street Week” program transmission; and causes monitorinformation to be recorded by onboard controller, 14A, if the station ofFIG. 4 is preprogrammed to collect monitor information.

Subsequently, but still in the interval between said commence-enablingtime and said 8:30 PM time, said program originating studio embeds inthe audio portion and transmits a particular SPAM message that consistsof a “01” header, execution segment information that matches saidenable-WSW-programming information, particular meter-monitorinformation, particular 1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions as theinformation segment information, and an end of file signal. (Hereinaftersaid message is called the “1st-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7).”)

In the fashions described above, so transmitting said SPAM messagecauses signal processor, 200, at the digital detector, 38, of decoder,30, to detect the information of said message and at the controlprocessor, 39J, to select the information of the execution segment insaid message and determine that said selected information matches theaforementioned instance of enable-WSW-programming information at saidparticular controlled-function-invoking information location. Sodetermining a match causes said control processor, 39J, to execute theaforementioned transfer-this-message-to-controller-20 instructions.

Executing said instructions causes said control processor, 39J, totransfer the information of said message to controller, 20, in thefashion of the local-cable-enabling-message (#7).

Receiving the “1st-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7) causes controller,20, to execute the aforementioned load-and-run-@20 instructions, to loadthe 1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions of the information segmentat particular RAM of controller, 20, then to execute the information soloaded as the so-called machine language instructions of one so-calledjob.

Executing said 1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions causescontroller, 20, in the predetermined fashion of said instructions, toaffect a first stage of decrypting the video information of the “WallStreet Week” program transmission. Automatically, controller, 20, causesthe control processor, 39J, of decoder, 30, to accept no SPAM messageinformation from the EOFS valve, 39F. Then automatically, controller,20, selects information of the last three significant digits of thebinary information of the aforementioned unique digital code at ROM, 21;computes that particular Q quantity that is 16 less than the product ofmultiplying the numerical information of said digits times 256 (which is2 to the 8th power); and selects information of those particular sixteencontiguous bit locations at the RAM associated with the controlprocessor, 39J, of decoder, 30, that commence at the first bit locationthat is said Q quantity of bit locations after a particular first bitlocation at said RAM. At the station of FIG. 4, the preprogrammedinformation of said sixteen contiguous bit locations is decryptioncipher key Ba. (In the present invention, the preferred method ofpreprogramming subscriber station signal processing apparatus is topreprogram each station with all authorized information but to vary thelocations of the information from station to station in accordance withstation specific information that varies from station to station—forexample, in example #7, Ba cipher information can be preprogrammed ateight different RAM locations and the particular location that appliesat any given station that is authorized with such information relates tothe last three significant digits of the unique digital code of saidstation in the fashion of the above Q quantity computation.)Automatically, controller, 20, transfers said decryption cipher key. Bainformation to a selected decryptor, 224, and causes decryptor, 224, tocommence decrypting any received information, using said key informationand selected decryption cipher algorithm B, and outputting decryptedinformation to matrix switch, 258. Automatically, controller, 20, causesmatrix switch, 258, to transfer the information of the aforementionedvideo output inputted from said tuner, 215, to the output that outputsto decryptor, 224, thereby causing said decryptor, 224, to receive theinformation of said video portion (said information being, as explainedabove, encrypted digital video), to decrypt said information, and totransfer decrypted information of said video portion to matrix switch,258. Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrix switch, 258, totransfer the information inputted from decryptor, 224, to the outputthat that outputs to signal processor, 200, thereby causing signalprocessor, 200, to receive said information at the aforementioned thirdalternate contact of switch, 1. Automatically, controller, 20, clearsall information of any prior SPAM message from decoder, 30; causesmixer, 3, and the filter, 31, and the modulator, 32, of decoder, 30, toinput said information to the digital detector, 38, without anymodification (switch, 1, is already connected to said third contact);and causes the control processor, 39J, of decoder, 30, to commenceaccepting SPAM message information from EOFS valve, 39F, and record allreceived SPAM message information in a predetermined fashion at the RAMassociated with said control processor, 39J, until an interrupt signalof EOFS-signal-detected information is received and then to process saidEOFS-signal-detected information in a predetermined fashion.

In due course, but still before said 8:30 PM-time, said programoriginating studio embeds in the video portion and transmits particularSPAM check information that is not a SPAM message and consists only of aparticular check sequence of binary information followed by an end offile signal. (Hereinafter said SPAM check information is called the“1st-WSW-decryption-check (#7).”) Then said program originating studioceases transmitting a television signal of digital video and digitalaudio.

Receiving the binary information of said check sequence at decoder, 30,causes digital detector, 38, to detect said information and causescontrol processor, 39J, to record said information at the RAM associatedwith said control processor, 39J, in the aforementioned predeterminedfashion. Then receiving said end of file signal causes EOFS valve, 39F,to transmit an interrupt signal of EOFS-signal-detected information tocontrol processor, 39J, thereby causing said processor, 39J, to transmita particular check-data-loaded signal to controller, 20, in theaforementioned predetermined fashion.

Receiving said check-data-loaded signal causes controller, 20, undercontrol of said 1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions, to cause thecontrol processor, 39J, of decoder, 30, to transfer to controller, 20,selected information of said check sequence of binary information andcompare said selected information to selected information of said1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions. A match occurs at the stationof FIG. 4, indicating that decryptor, 224, is decrypting its receivedinformation correctly.

(Simultaneously other stations compare selected information of saidcheck sequence to selected information of said1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions. At each station where a matchfails to occur—which indicates that a decryptor, 224, is not decryptingits received information correctly and suggests that the preprogrammedSPAM operating information of said station may have been tamperedwith—not resulting in a match causes the controller, 20, of said stationto cause all information of said 1st-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7)to be erased from all memory of said station except for a particularportion of said 1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions loaded at theRAM of said controller, 20, then to execute the information of saidportion as instructions of a machine language job. Executing saidportion causes controller, 20, to cause the auto dialer, 24, andtelephone connection, 22, of said station to establish telephonecommunications with a particular predetermined remote station, in thefashion described above, and causes controller, 20, then to transmit theaforementioned appearance-of-tampering information together withcomplete information of the unique digital code that identifies saidstation uniquely. If telephone communications are not established withsaid remote station in a predetermined fashion and/or within apredetermined time interval, the instructions of said portion cause saidcontroller, 20, to erase all preprogrammable RAM and EPROM of the signalprocessing apparatus at said station, thereby disabling said apparatus.)

Resulting in a match causes controller, 20, to execute a particularportion of said 1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions.

Executing the instructions of said portion causes controller, 20, tocause the apparatus of the station of FIG. 4 to cease receiving anddecrypting the television information of said cable channel 13 asdigital video and audio, to commence receiving said televisioninformation as conventional analog television, and to prepare to receiveparticular embedded SPAM information at the decoder, 30, of signalprocessor, 200. Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrix switch,258, to cease transferring the information inputted from said converterbox, 201, to the output that outputs to television tuner, 215; to ceasetransferring the information inputted from decryptor, 224, to the outputthat outputs to third alternate contact of switch, 1; and to commencetransferring the information inputted from said converter box, 201, tothe output that outputs to said third alternate contact. Automatically,controller, 20, causes mixer, 3, to select the frequency of channel 13and input said frequency, at a fixed frequency, to TV signal decoder,30. Automatically, controller, 20, causes decoder, 30, to ceasetransferring detected digital information from digital detector, 38, tocontroller, 39, and to commence filtering and demodulating inputtedinformation at filter, 31, and demodulator, 32. Automatically,controller, 20, selects information of the first three of the last foursignificant digits of the binary information of the aforementionedunique digital code at ROM, 21; computes that particular Q quantity thatis the sum of the numerical information of said three digits plus 20;and causes decoder, 30, to commencing receiving information embedded onthe line Q (and only on line Q) of the inputted video at line receiver,33, and transferring detected digital information from detector, 34, tocontroller, 39. (In other words, if the binary information of said threedigits is “000”, decoder, 30, receives information embedded on line 20;if the binary information of said three digits is “001”, decoder, 30,receives information embedded on line 21; etc.) Finally, controller, 20,completes execution of said 1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructionsthen, in the fashion of the first message of example #4, processesautomatically the information of the meter-monitor segment of said1st-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7) as meter information; causes themeter record that records the decryption of the audio portion of the“Wall Street Week” program transmission to be transferred frombuffer/comparator, 14, and recorded at recorder, 16, (and causes theaforementioned signal record transfer sequence if recorder, 16, equalsor exceeds if predetermined level of fullness); causes information ofsaid meter-monitor segment to be placed at particular locations ofbuffer/comparator, 14, thereby initiating a meter record that recordsthe decryption of the program transmission of the “Wall Street Week”program originating studio; and causes monitor information to berecorded by onboard controller, 14A, if the station of FIG. 4 ispreprogrammed to collect monitor information.

In due course, but still before said 8:30 PM time, said programoriginating studio commences transmitting analog television informationon its transmission frequency and embeds and transmits particular SPAMmessage information on lines 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27. On eachline said station transmits one particular message, and the messages ofsaid lines are addressed to apparatus at subscriber stations where thefirst three of the last four significant digits of the binaryinformation of the unique digital code at the ROMs, 21, are “000”,“001”, “010”, “011”, “100”, “101”, “110”, and “111” respectively. Eachof said messages consists of a “01” header, execution segmentinformation that matches said enable-WSW-programming information,particular meter-monitor information, particular2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions as the information segmentinformation, and an end of file signal. Each of said messages isidentical except as regards certain differences in said2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions that are described below.Prior to being embedded and transmitted the information of each of saidmessages is encrypted, in the same fashion as the first message ofexample #4 (except that key J is used), and the encrypted information ofthe execution segment is identical to particularcontrolled-function-invoking information that instructs use decryptionkey J to decrypt the information of said message in the fashion of thedecrypting of said second message. (Hereinafter, each of said SPAMmessages is called a “2nd-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7).”) Then saidprogram originating studio ceases transmitting analog televisioninformation.

Transmitting said message causes the line receiver, 33, of decoder, 30,to receive the embedded SPAM information of that particular2nd-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7) that is embedded on said line Q;the detector, 34, to detect the digital information of said message; andthe controller, 39, to process said information. Automatically, controlprocessor, 39J, causes controller, 20, to cause the decryptor, 39K, ofdecoder, 30, to commence decrypting using decryption key J and causesdecryptor, 39K, to receive the information of said message.Automatically, decryptor, 39K, decrypts the encrypted information ofsaid message and transfers said message to EOFS valve, 39H.Automatically, EOFS valve, 39H, inputs the information of said message,unencrypted, to control processor, 39J, until the end of file signal ofsaid message is detected. Automatically, control processor, 39J,determines that the unencrypted information of the execution segment ofsaid message matches the aforementioned instance ofenable-WSW-programming information at said particularcontrolled-function-invoking information location and executes theaforementioned transfer-this-message-to-controller-20 instructions.

Executing said instructions causes the transfer of the information ofsaid message to controller, 20, in the fashion of thelocal-cable-enabling-message (#7).

Receiving said 2nd-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7) causes controller,20, to execute the aforementioned load-and-run-@20 instructions, to loadthe 2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions of the information segmentat particular RAM of controller, 20, then to execute the information soloaded as the machine language instructions of one job.

Executing said 2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions causescontroller, 20, in the predetermined fashion of said instructions, tostrip particular SPAM information from said “Wall Street Week” programtransmission, to generate and insert particular information into saidtransmission, and to affect a second and last stage of decrypting thedigital video information of the “Wall Street Week” programtransmission. Automatically, controller, 20, causes the controlprocessor, 39J, of decoder, 30, to accept no SPAM message informationfrom the EOFS valve, 39F. Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrixswitch, 258, to cease transferring the information inputted from saidconverter box, 201, to the output that outputs to said third alternatecontact; to commence transferring the information inputted from saidconverter box, 201, to the output that outputs to television tuner, 215;to commence transferring the information inputted from decryptor, 224,to the output that outputs to signal stripper, 229; to commencetransferring the information inputted from signal stripper, 229, to theoutput that outputs to signal generator, 230; to commence transferringthe information inputted from signal generator, 230, to the output thatoutputs to decryptor, 231; and to commence transferring the informationinputted from decryptor, 231, to the output that outputs to said thirdalternate contact of switch, 1. Automatically, controller, 20, causessignal stripper, 229, to strip information, in a fashion well known inthe art, from a particular strip-designated portion of the videotransmission received at said stripper, 229, and transfer the receivedvideo, without said stripped information, to matrix switch, 258. (Saidstripped information may be information that would cause disablingchips, well known in the art, to prevent microcomputer, 205, or monitor,202M, from processing or displaying the information of said videotransmission if said stripped information were present in saidtransmission when said transmission was received at microcomputer, 205,or monitor, 202M.) Automatically, controller, 20, selects completeinformation of the aforementioned unique digital code at ROM, 21,transmits said complete information to signal generator, 230, and causessaid generator, 230, to insert said complete information, in apredetermined periodic fashion and in an inserting fashion well known inthe art, into a particular insertion-designated portion of the videotransmission received at said generator, 230, and to transfer thereceived video, with said inserted information, to matrix switch, 258.(By causing information that identifies the station at which encryptedinformation is decrypted to be so inserted, the present invention makesit possible to identify particular stations where their information ismisused—for example, if pirated decrypted copies of information aredistributed, the station at which decryption occurred can be identifiedby means of the inserted information—and by causing said information tobe inserted and then processed at a decryptor as if said insertedinformation were encrypted, the present invention renders the insertedinformation into a form that can easily be rendered back into clearform—for example, by using the same cipher algorithm and cipher key to“encrypt” said information into its predecryption form—while renderingsaid inserted information into a form that others, such as pirates, canfind very difficult to distinguish from other binary information, tolocate or identify and, therefore, to remove.) Automatically,controller, 20, selects information of the aforementioned first three ofthe last four significant digits of the binary information of theaforementioned unique digital code at ROM, 21 and computes a particularQ quantity according to a particular formula that is preprogrammed insaid 2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions. The information of saidQ quantity is the decryption key Aa. (The formulas in each of the eightdifferent 2nd-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7) messages differ fromeach other in such a way that when each station computes its own Qquantity according to its own first three of last four significantunique digital code digits, the Q quantities computed all properlypreprogrammed and functioning stations are identical—for example, atstations where said three digits are “000” can compute by a formula thatinstructs said stations to add binary information of 9999 to theinformation of said three digits to compute the quantity Q whilestations where said three digits are “001” can compute by a formula thatinstructs said stations to add binary information of 10000 to theinformation of said three digits to compute the quantity Q, etc.)Automatically, controller, 20, clears all information of any prior SPAMmessage from decoder, 30; causes mixer, 3, and the filter, 31, and themodulator, 32, of decoder, 30, to input said information to the digitaldetector, 38, without any modification (switch, 1, is already connectedto said third contact); and causes the control processor, 39J, ofdecoder, 30, to commence accepting SPAM message information from EOFSvalve, 39F, and record all received SPAM message information in apredetermined fashion at the RAM associated with said control processor,39J, until an interrupt signal of EOFS-signal-detected information isreceived and then to process said EOFS-signal-detected information in apredetermined fashion.

In due course, but still before said 8:30 PM time, said programoriginating studio encrypts and transmits, in its digital videotransmission, particular SPAM check information that consists of aparticular check sequence of binary information followed by an end offile signal (and is not a SPAM message). (Hereinafter said SPAM checkinformation is called the “2nd-WSW-decryption-check (#7).”)

As with the 1st-WSW-decryption-check (#7), receiving the2nd-WSW-decryption-check (#7) causes control processor, 39J, to recordthe information of the check sequence of said 2nd-WSW-decryption-check(#7) at the RAM associated with said control processor, 39J, then totransmit a particular check-data-loaded signal to controller, 20.

Receiving said signal causes controller, 20, under control of said2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions, to cause said controlprocessor, 39J, to transfer to controller, 20, selected information ofsaid check sequence; to compare said selected information to selectedinformation of said 2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions; and todetermine that a match results, indicating that decryptors, 224 and 231,are decrypting received information correctly. Determining a matchcauses controller, 20, to determine, in a predetermined fashion, thatsignal stripper, 229, is correctly stripping information from theaforementioned strip-designated portion of the video transmission andtransferring received video without said stripped information and thatsignal generator, 230, is correctly inserting complete information ofthe aforementioned unique digital code into the aforementionedinsertion-designated portion of the video transmission and transferringreceived video with said inserted information.

(Simultaneously other stations compare selected information of saidcheck sequence to selected information of said2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions and verify the correctfunctioning of local signal strippers, 229, and generators, 230. At eachstation where a controller, 20, determines that a match does notresult—which indicates that a decryptor, 224 or 231, is not decryptingits received information correctly and suggests that the preprogrammedSPAM operating information of said station may have been tamperedwith—or determines that a stripper, 229, or a generator, 230, fails tofunction correctly, so determining match causes said controller, 20, tocause all information of said 2nd-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7) tobe erased from all memory of said station except for a particularportion of said 2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions loaded at theRAM of said controller, 20, then to execute the information of saidportion as instructions of a machine language job. Executing saidportion causes said controller, 20, to cause the auto dialer, 24, andtelephone connection, 22, of said station to establish telephonecommunications with a particular predetermined remote station, in thefashion described above, and causes said controller, 20, then totransmit the aforementioned appearance-of-tampering information togetherwith complete information of the unique digital code that identifiessaid station uniquely. If telephone communications are not establishedwith said remote station in a predetermined fashion and/or within apredetermined time interval, the instructions of said portion cause saidcontroller, 20, to erase all preprogrammable RAM and EPROM of the signalprocessing apparatus at said station, thereby disabling said apparatus.)

Determining that signal stripper, 229, and that signal generator, 230,are stripping and inserting correctly (after having determined that thatdecryptors, 224 and 231, are decrypting correctly) causes thecontroller, 20, of the station of FIG. 4 (and causes controllers, 20, atother stations where so determining occurs) to execute particularadditional 2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions, and executing saidinstructions causes controller, 20, to cause the apparatus of thestation of FIG. 4 to commence transferring the decrypted televisioninformation of the “Wall Street Week” program to microcomputer, 205, andmonitor, 202M. Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrix switch, 258,to transfer the decrypted audio information inputted from decryptor,107, to monitor, 202M, thereby causing monitor, 202M, to commencereceiving said audio information and emitting sound in accordance withsaid audio information. Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrixswitch, 258, to cease transferring the decrypted video informationinputted from decryptor, 231, to the output that outputs to said thirdalternate contact of switch, 1, and to commence transferring said videoinformation inputted from said decryptor, 231, to divider, 4, therebycausing divider, 4, to transfer said decrypted video information tomicrocomputer, 205, and to decoder, 203. Automatically, controller, 20,causes decoder, 203, to discard any previously received SPAMinformation; to commence detecting SPAM information in the inputteddecrypted video information and waiting to receive SPAM headerinformation; and to cause microcomputer, 205, to commence transferringthe decrypted information of the transmitted video image to monitor,202M, thereby causing monitor, 202M, to commence displaying, at itstelevision picture tube, the information of the transmitted televisionimage. Automatically, controller, 20, causes decoder, 30, to discard allpreviously received SPAM information (including all information of said2nd-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7) and said 2nd-WSW-decryption-check(#7)); causes oscillator, 6, and decoder, 30, to commence the detectingof example (#7); and in a predetermined fashion, causes oscillator, 6,to cause switch, 1, to connect to connect its contact lever to theaforementioned first alternate contact of switch, 1. Finally,controller, 20, completes execution of said 2nd-stage-enable-WSW-programinstructions then processes the information of the meter-monitor segmentof said message as meter information; causes selected information ofsaid meter-monitor segment to be placed at particular locations ofbuffer/comparator, 14, thereby incrementing the information of theaforementioned meter record that records the decryption of the programtransmission of the “Wall Street Week” program originating studio; andcauses monitor information to be recorded by onboard controller, 14A, ifthe station of FIG. 4 is preprogrammed to collect monitor information.

In due course, at said 8:30 PM time, said program originating studiocommences transmitting the programming information of said “Wall StreetWeek” program, thereby causing the apparatus of the station of FIG. 4(and of other correctly regulated and connected stations) to commencefunctioning in the fashions described above in “One Combined Medium” andin examples #1, #2, #3, and #4.

It is obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the foregoing ispresented by way of example only and that the invention is not to beunduly restricted thereby since modifications may be made in thestructure of the various parts without functionally departing from thespirit of the invention. For example, the decryption cipher keyinformation and/or algorithm instructions and/or the location orlocations of said key information and/or instructions may be computed inother, more complex or less complex, fashions. And for example, thetransmitted programming may be processed through fewer than three stepsof decryption or more than three. And for example, the “Wall StreetWeek” transmission may be of conventional analog television, and thedecryptors, 107, 224, and 231, may be conventional descramblers, well,known in the art, that descramble analog television transmissions andare actuated by receiving digital key information. And for example,determining that a local station is not preprogrammed properly and/orthat decryption, stripping, and/or signal generating apparatus are notfunctioning correctly may cause apparatus of said station to performother steps of disabling and/or communicating—eg., the local apparatusmay disable local apparatus selectively and only partially by, forexample, preventing a decoder, 203, from processing embedded SPAMcombining synch commands and may interrogate remote station apparatus,by telephone, for cipher key and/or cipher algorithm instructions andinformation. And for example, the transmitted programming may be caused,in a predetermined fashion to be recorded at an apparatus such as aproperly configured video recorder rather than being played anddisplayed at a monitor, 202M. And for example, the transmittedprogramming may be only audio (for example, of a radio transmission), orprint (for example, of broadcast print) rather than television. And forexample, the output apparatus may be speakers or one or more printersrather than a television monitor. And for example, rather than being atransmitter at a remote wireless or cable transmission station, thesource of the transmission may be a local apparatus such as a video (oraudio or digital information) tape recorder or a laser disc player, wellknown in the art, that transmits a transmission of conventionalrerecorded programming that has been encrypted (either fully orpartially) and in which SPAM regulating instructions and informationhave been appropriately prerecorded which transmission is inputted tomatrix switch, 258, from said local apparatus and which SPAM regulatinginstructions cause the decryption of the encrypted programming in thefashions of the present invention. And for example, covert control meansmay be used to control any regulating process of the present invention.

Monitoring Receiver Station Reception and Operation

FIG. 5 illustrates means and methods for monitoring receiver stationreception and use of programming and modes of receiver station operationand exemplifies one embodiment of a subscriber station that ispreconfigured and preprogrammed to collect monitor information. Themeans and methods facilitate the collection of statistics that identifynot only what programming is received and displayed at given subscriberstations but also, for example, which local apparatus receivesprogramming and which displays programming, how received programming isprocessed, what local apparatus is controlled in the course ofprocessing and how, what locally preprogrammed data is processed by orwith the received programming, which local apparatus is caused totransmit programming, etc. Efficient collection of such statisticsenables suppliers of programming and of subscriber station apparatus toidentify which programming subscribers demand and how subscribers usetheir programming and apparatus.

FIG. 5 shows a variety of input apparatus with capacity for inputtingprogramming (including SPAM information) selectively, via matrix switch,258, to apparatus of the subscriber station of FIG. 5, intermediateapparatus with capacity for processing and/or recording inputtedprogramming selectively, and output apparatus for displaying orotherwise outputting programming selectively to human senses.

Input apparatus include antenna, 199, and converter boxes, 201 and 222,that input programming transmitted from remote stations. Laser discplayer, 232, and record turn table, 280, which are apparatus well knownin the art, input prerecorded programming. The programming input bylaser disc player, 232, in particular, may include video (as, forexample, from a so-called “laser videodisc player”), digital audio (as,for example, from a so-called “compact disc player”), and digital data(as, for example, from a so-called “CD ROM”), and systems are well knownin the art with capacity for playing all three forms of programmingprerecorded on one given disc. Other input, 252, which may be, forexample, a telephone, also has capacity for inputting programming tomatrix switch, 258.

Intermediate apparatus include microcomputer, 205, radio tuner &amplifier, 213, TV tuner, 215, audio recorder/player, 255, and videorecorder/player, 217, all of which are well known in the art. Thestation of FIG. 5 also has capacity for including one or more othertuners and/or recorder/players, 257, well known in the art, such as, forexample, computer peripheral MODEMs and/or such expanded memory units asso-called “fixed disk” recorder/players.

Output apparatus that display or otherwise output programmingselectively to human senses include, for example, TV monitor, 202M,multi-picture television monitor, 148, speaker system, 263, and printer,221, all of which are well known in the art. Said apparatus that outputcould also include one or more other output systems, 261.

(This is only a representative group of equipment; many other types ofcommunications and computer apparatus could be included in FIG. 5.)

Associated with each intermediate apparatus and output apparatus is oneor more appropriate decoders. At radio tuner & amplifier, 138, are radiodecoder, 138, and other decoder, 281. At TV tuner, 215, is TV decoder,282. At audio recorder/player, 255, is other decoder, 284. At videorecorder/player, 217, is TV decoder, 218. At microcomputer, 205, is TVdecoder, 203. At other tuner and/or recorder/player, 257, is otherdecoder, 283. At TV monitor, 202M, is TV decoder, 145. At multi-pictureTV monitor, 148, are TV decoders, 149 and 150. At speaker system, 263,is other decoder, 285. At printer, 221, is other decoder, 227. At otheroutput system, 261, is other decoder, 286. Each decoder is likely to belocated physically inside the unit of its associated intermediate oroutput apparatus.

At any given subscriber station, any given SPAM decoder may merelymonitor the operation of its associated subscriber station apparatus ormay function not only to monitor the operation of its associatedapparatus but also to control said apparatus in the execution of SPAMcontrolled functions (in which case said decoder is preprogrammed toexecute one or more controlled functions).

FIG. 5 shows each decoder as having capacity for transferring monitorinformation to signal processor, 200, by bus communications means. Saidinformation is received (and processed) at signal processor, 200, by theonboard controller, 14A, which controls the communications of said busmeans in a fashion well known in the art.

In FIG. 5, decoders, 138, 281, 282, 284, 218, 283, 145, 149, 150, 285,227, and 286, merely monitor the operation of associated subscriberstation apparatus. In the preferred embodiment, each one of saiddecoders is located at a point in the circuitry of its associatedapparatus where said one receives (so as to detect all SPAM informationon) the information of the selected frequency, channel or transmissionto which its associated apparatus is tuned. Each one of said decoders ispreprogrammed to detect and transfer to said onboard controller, 14, viasaid bus means, the meter-monitor information of every unencrypted SPAMmessage in the transmission to which its associated apparatus is tuned.

In FIG. 5, decoder, 203, which is part of the signal processor system ofthe station of FIG. 5, not only monitors the operation of its associatedapparatus, microcomputer, 205, but also controls said apparatus, in thefashions described above, in the execution of SPAM controlled functions.Decoder, 203, has means for detecting SPAM information in anyprogramming transmission inputted to its associated apparatus,microcomputer, 205, and not only for detecting and transferring to saidonboard controller, 14, via said bus means, the meter-monitorinformation of every unencrypted SPAM message of said transmissions butalso for inputting selected detected information to microcomputer, 205,and for controlling microcomputer, 205, in selected fashions. (FIG. 5also shows that decoder, 203, has capacity for inputting detectedinformation to signal processor, 200, and for receiving from andtransferring control information to signal processor, 200.)

Any given decoder may have more or less apparatus than that shown ifFIG. 2A, 2B, or 2C. For example, each one of said decoders, 138, 281,282, 284, 218, 283, 145, 149, 150, 285, 227, and 286, requires lessapparatus than is shown in the appropriate corresponding FIG. 2A, 2B, or2C. Said decoders can be located in the aforementioned circuitry oftheir associated apparatus in such fashions that said decoders do notrequire filters, 31, and demodulators, 32 and 35, (in the case of TVsignal decoders) or radio receiver circuitry, 41, (in the case of radiosignal decoders) or other receiver circuitry, 45, (in the case of othersignal decoders). On the other hand, decoder, 203, may have moreapparatus that that shown in FIG. 2A. FIG. 7D, which is described morefully below, shows that a microcomputer, 205, can be controlled by SPAMinformation embedded in transmissions other than televisiontransmissions. Thus, because the particular decoder that controls aparticular associated apparatus will be configured and preprogrammed todetect SPAM information in every transmission that can be inputted toand control said apparatus, the decoder, 203, associated withmicrocomputer, 205, may be modified to constitute an “All SignalDecoder” through the addition of additional apparatus such as the radioreceiver circuitry, 41, radio decoder, 42, and digital detector, 43, ofthe Radio Signal Decoder of FIG. 2B and the other receiver circuitry,45, and digital detector, 46, of the Other Signal Decoder of FIG. 2C,said additional apparatus operating under the control of the controller,39, of said decoder, 203, and inputting detected digital information tothe buffer, 39A, of said controller, 39.

If a given intermediate or output apparatus can receive transmissionsfrom more than one source or of more than one kind—television, radio, orother—it will have sufficient apparatus to monitor every channel andkind of transmission it can receive. For example, FIG. 5 showsmulti-picture TV monitor, 148, that has capacity to receive two inputtedtransmissions and has two TV decoders, 149 and 150. In the preferredembodiment, one decoder, 149, is located at a point in the circuitry ofmonitor, 148, where said decoder, 149, receives the information of oneinputted transmission; the other decoder, 150, is located at a point insaid circuitry said decoder, 150, receives the information of the otherinputted transmission. And for example, FIG. 5 shows radio tuner &amplifier, 213, that also has capacity to receive two inputtedtransmissions and has two decoders: radio decoder, 138, and otherdecoder, 281. In the preferred embodiment, one decoder, 138, is locatedat a point in the circuitry of tuner & amplifier, 213, where saiddecoder, 138, receives information of one inputted transmission (eg.,the selected radio frequency that is the particular frequency, of thespectrum of wireless frequencies received at antenna, 199, and inputtedvia switch, 258, that is the frequency that the radio tuner of tuner &amplifier tunes to); the other decoder, 281, is located at a point insaid circuitry where said decoder, 281, receives the information of theother inputted transmission, (eg., the output frequency of record turntable, 280, inputted via said switch, 258).

The onboard controller, 14A, controls the operation of all the decodersthat merely monitor the operation of associated subscriber stationapparatus and also controls other particular apparatus of the subscriberstation of FIG. 5 in particular monitor information functions. FIG. 5shows that signal processor, 200, (at onboard controller, 14A) has buscommunications means for communicating control information to theaforementioned decoders, 138, 281, 282, 284, 218, 283, 145, 149, 150,285, 227, and 286. By such bus means, onboard controller, 14A, can causeany on or all of said decoders to commence or cease, processing andtransmitting SPAM monitor information and can cause any one or all ofsaid decoders to change the location or locations that are searched forSPAM information. FIG. 5 shows that, via said bus communications means,signal processor, 200, has capacity for communicating controlinformation (from onboard controller, 14A) to subscriber station playerapparatus that has capacity for playing prerecorded programming (and inso doing, originating transmission at said station of said programming).Said player apparatus includes laser disc player, 232, record turntable, 280, audio recorder/player, 255, video recorder/player, 217, andother recorder/player, 257. Each of said player apparatus has capacity,under control of onboard controller, 14A, for generating, embedding inprogramming transmissions, and transmitting source mark information thatidentifies (and distinguishes from one another) each one of said playerapparatus. By causing said player apparatus to transmit identifyingsource mark information, onboard controller, can cause local apparatusto collect monitor information that identifies which local playerapparatus is the source of any given output of a locally originated,prerecorded programming transmission.

But the onboard controller, 14A, does not control the operation of thosedecoders that control the operation of subscriber station apparatus inthe execution of SPAM controlled functions. Instead, all decoders thatexecute SPAM controlled functions are controlled, even in monitoring theoperation of their associated apparatus, by the controller, 20, ofsignal processor, 200. In FIG. 5, decoder, 203, is the only such decoderwith capacity to execute SPAM controlled functions. As FIG. 5 shows,decoder, 203, and signal processor, 200, (at onboard controller, 14A)have no capacity to communicate with each other via the aforementionedbus communications means for communicating control information. Ratherdecoder, 203, communicates control information directly with thecontroller, 20, of signal processor, 200, as in FIG. 3. (In respect to adecoder and other apparatus that are controlled by a controller, 20, theonboard controller, 14A, of the signal processor, 200, of saidcontroller, 20, is preprogrammed to input to said controller, 20, allmonitor instructions addressed to said decoder or associated apparatus,and said controller, 20, is preprogrammed to receive said instructionsand transfer said instructions to said decoder or associated apparatusappropriately in accordance with the priority of the operation of saiddecoder or associated apparatus.)

Decoders that execute SPAM controlled functions are controlled in regardto monitoring by controller, 20, rather than onboard controller, 14A,because timely execution of controlled functions (and the transmissionof control information related to such execution such as, for example,decryption key information as in example #4 above) has far higherpriority that the collection of monitor information.

One particular advantage of these methods for monitoring programming isthat, by embedding the SPAM information in the audio and/or video and/orother parts of the programming that are conventionally recorded by, forexample, conventional video cassette recorders, these methods providetechniques for gathering statistics on what is recorded, for example, onvideo and audio cassette recorders and on how people replay suchrecordings. For example, a subscriber might instruct videorecorder/player, 217, automatically to record the NBC Network NightlyNews as broadcast over station WNBC in New York City. Recorder, 217,might receive the programming over Manhattan Cable TV channel 4 andrecord the programming at the time of original broadcasttransmission—from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM on the evening of Jul. 15, 1985.Each discrete bit of this information could be transmitted to thesubscriber station of FIG. 5 in meter-monitor information (of a SPAMcommand with an appropriate execution segment such as information of thepseudo command) embedded in the transmitted programming. So embeddingand transmitting said meter-monitor information would cause recorder,217, to record said information. In addition, decoder, 218, would detectsaid information and transfer said information to signal processor, 200,together with appropriate source mark information, but no decoderapparatus associated with any of the aforementioned output apparatuswould detect said information, causing said signal processor, 200, in apredetermined fashion to record a signal record of programming recordedat recorder, 217. (Simultaneously, the information of said programmingis being displayed at the monitors, 202M, of other subscriber stationsthat are tuned to the frequency of said News as broadcast; decoders,145, associated with said monitors, 202M, are detecting said embeddedmeter-monitor information and transmitting said information to thesignal processors, 200, of said stations; and said signal processors,200, are recording signal records of programming displayed at saidmonitors, 202M.) Subsequently, the subscriber might play back therecorded programming and view said programming on TV monitor, 202M, from10:45 PM to 11:15 PM the same evening. So playing back and transmittingthe recorded programming to monitor, 202M, would cause TV signaldecoder, 145, to detect said meter-monitor information and transfer saidinformation, together with appropriate source mark information, tosignal processor, 131, causing said signal processor, 200, to record asignal record of said information together with date and timeinformation of said 10:45 PM to 11:15 PM the same evening selected fromthe clock, 18, of signal processor, 200.

Prerecorded, commercially distributed video and audio tapes, videodiscs,so-called “compact discs” of audio, and so-called “CD ROM” discs of datacan also contain unique codes, embedded in the prerecorded programming,that identify the use and usage of said programming when said tapes ordiscs are played. For example, laser disc player, 232, can be a compactdisc player upon which is loaded a compact disc. SPAM messages, embeddedin the programming prerecorded on said disc, can contain pseudo commandexecution segment information and meter-monitor information thatdocuments that said prerecorded programming is of Anton Bruckner'sSymphony No. 4 as recorded by the Berlin Philharmoniker and the disc isdistributed by EMI Records Ltd. on the Angel label with a particularcatalog serial number. Through matrix switch, 258, the output of player,232, is inputted to the amplifier, 213, and the output of amplifier,213, is inputted to speaker system, 263. When player, 232, commencesplaying and transmitting said prerecorded programming, transmitting saidprogramming causes other decoder, 281, and other decoder, 285, to detectsaid embedded messages at amplifier, 213, and speaker system, 263,respectively, and transmit said meter-monitor information to signalprocessor, 200, via the aforementioned bus communications means fortransferring monitor information, thereby causing onboard controller,14A, to commence retaining monitor information in a signal record thatreflects the outputting of said programming and, in a predeterminedfashion, to determine that the information of said record includes noinformation identifying a station or apparatus originating thetransmission of said programming. So determining causes onboardcontroller, 14A, to transmit a particular transmit-source-codeinstruction, via the aforementioned bus communications means fortransferring control information, to the local apparatus that havecapacity for playing prerecorded programming, which apparatus includeplayer, 232, and record turn table, 280. Receiving said instructioncauses player, 232, and turn table, 280, each to generate, embed in itstransmitted programming in a predetermined fashion, and transmit its ownpreprogrammed identifier code information that identifies eachdistinctly differently it from all other subscriber station apparatus(all of which apparatus have the capacity so to do). Causing player,232, to transmit its distinct code causes other decoders, 281 and 285,to detect said code and transmit information of said code to signalprocessor, 200, causing onboard controller, 14A, to retain informationof said code in said signal record, thereby adding to said recordinformation of the apparatus originating the transmission of saidprogramming.

In the case of any given programming that is outputted at any givenoutput apparatus, thereby enabling a subscriber to view or hear or reador in some other way perceive the information of said programming, theonboard controller, 14A, may and probably will receive monitorinformation from several different sources. For example, in the case ofthe “Wall Street Week” program, transmitting the first and second SPAMmessages of example #3 (which are not encrypted) will cause not onlydecoder, 203, to process the meter-monitor information of said messagesand transmit the aforementioned 1st monitor information (#3) and 2ndmonitor information (#3), via the monitor information bus means of FIG.5, to onboard controller, 14A. The programming of said “Wall StreetWeek” program is received at tuner, 215, and displayed at monitor, 202M.Accordingly, transmitting said messages will also cause the decoderassociated with tuner, 215—decoder, 282—to detect, process, and transmitmonitor information of said messages to onboard controller, 14A, that isidentical to said 1st monitor information (#3) and 2nd monitorinformation (#3) except that the source mark information identifiesdecoder, 282, rather than decoder, 203. Likewise, unless the FIG. 1Binformation overlaid at microcomputer, 205, covers and obliterates theembedded information of said messages that is inputted from divider, 4,to microcomputer, 205, and would otherwise be transmitted to monitor,202M, in the combined programming outputted by microcomputer, 205,(which covering and obliterating does not occur in example #3),transmitting said messages will also cause the decoder, 145, to detect,process, and transmit monitor information of said messages to onboardcontroller, 14A, that is also identical to said 1st and 2nd monitorinformation (#3) except that the source mark information identifiesdecoder, 145.

As described above, onboard controller, 14A, organizes its containedsignal records on the basis of the different source mark information ofthe separate decoders of its subscriber station. Were onboardcontroller, 14A, preprogrammed to process monitor information just inthis simple fashion, transmitting the first and second messages ofexample #3 would cause onboard controller, 14A, to record (andsubsequently transmit to recorder, 16, then later to one or more remotestations) three separate signal records that would duplicate each otherexcept that each would be associated with the source mark of a differentdecoder, 282, 203, or 145.

In the preferred embodiment, to minimize unnecessary duplication, priorto retaining monitor information in signal records, onboard controller,14A, is preprogrammed to consolidate, in a predetermined fashion orfashions, monitor information transmissions that contain differentsource mark information but common “program unit identification code”information in such a way that subordinate sources are identified—which,in the “Wall Street Week” example, are tuner, 215/decoder, 282, andmonitor, 202M/decoder, 145, where no combined medium functions and noSPAM controlled functions are executed—the monitor information from saidsources is included, in a predetermined fashion, within the signalrecord information of the principal source—which source is, in theexample, decoder, 203, at microcomputer, 205—in such a way that onlyexception information is recorded in the recorded information of themonitor information transmitted from the subordinate sources.

Automating Intermediate Transmission Stations

The signal processing apparatus outlined in FIGS. 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D,and their variants as appropriate, can be used to automate theoperations of intermediate transmission stations that receive andretransmit programming. The stations so automated may transmit any formof electronically transmitted programming, including television, radio,print, data, and combined medium programming and may range in scale ofoperation from wireless broadcast stations that transmit a singleprogramming transmission to cable systems that cablecast many channelssimultaneously.

FIG. 6 illustrates Signal Processing Apparatus and Methods at anintermediate transmission station that is a cable television system“head end” and that cablecasts several channels of televisionprogramming. The means and methods for transmitting conventionalprogramming are well known in the art. The station receives programmingfrom many sources. Transmissions are received from a satellite bysatellite antenna, 50, low noise amplifiers, 51 and 52, and TVreceivers, 53, 54, 55, and 56. Microwave transmissions are received bymicrowave antenna, 57, and television video and audio receivers, 58 and59. Conventional TV broadcast transmissions are received by antenna, 60,and TV demodulator, 61. Other electronic programming transmissions arereceived by other programming input means, 62. Eachreceiver/modulator/input apparatus, 53 through 62, transfers itsreceived transmissions into the station by hard-wire to a a conventionalmatrix switch, 75, well known in the art, that outputs to one or morerecorder/players, 76 and 78, and/or to apparatus that outputs saidtransmissions over various channels to the cable system's fielddistribution system, 93, which apparatus includes cable channelmodulators, 83, 87, and 91, and channel combining and multiplexingsystem, 92. Programming can also be manually delivered to said stationon prerecorded videotapes and videodiscs. When played on videorecorders, 76 and 78, or other similar equipment well known in the art,such prerecorded programming can be transmitted via switch 75 to fielddistribution system, 93.

In the prior art, the identification of incoming programming, howeverreceived; the operation of video player and recorder equipment, 76 and78; and the maintenance of records of programming transmissions are alllargely manual operations.

FIG. 6 shows the introduction of signal processing apparatus and methodsto automate these and other operations.

In line between each of the aforementioned receiver/demodulator/inputapparatus, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, or 62, and matrix switch,75, is a dedicated distribution amplifier, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69,or 70, that splits each incoming feed into two paths. One path is theconventional path whereby programming flows from each givenreceiver/demodulator/input apparatus, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60,61, or 62, to matrix switch, 75. The other path inputs the transmissionof said given receiver/demodulator/input apparatus, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57,58, 59, 60, 61, or 62, individually to signal processor system, 71. (Inother words, distribution amplifier, 63, continuously inputs theprogramming transmission of receiver, 53, to matrix switch, 75, andseparately to signal processor system, 71; distribution amplifier, 64,inputs the programming transmission of receiver, 54, to matrix switch,75, and separately to signal processor system, 71; etc.)

At signal processor system, 71, which is a system as shown in FIG. 2D,the outputted transmission of each distribution amplifier, 63, 64, 65,66, 67, 68, 69, or 70, is inputted into a dedicated decoder (such asdecoders, 27, 28, and 29 in FIG. 2D) that processes continuously theinputted transmission of said distribution amplifier, 63, 64, 65, 66,67, 68, 69, or 70; selects SPAM messages in said transmission that areaddresses to ITS apparatus of said intermediate transmission station;automatically adds, in a predetermined fashion, source mark informationthat identifies said associated distribution amplifier, 63, 64, 65, 66,67, 68, 69, or 70; and transfers said selected messages, with saidsource mark information, to code reader, 72. Signal processor system,71, also has signal processor means to control signal processor system,71, to record meter-monitor information of said message information, andto transfer recorded information to external communications network, 97.

Code reader, 72, buffers and passes the received SPAM messageinformation, with source mark information, to cable program controllerand computer, 73.

Cable program controller and computer, 73, is the central automaticcontrol unit for the transmission station. Computer, 73, has aninstalled clock and is preprogrammed with information on the operatingspeeds and capacities of all station apparatus and the connections ofsaid apparatus with matrix switch, 75.

Computer, 73, has capacity for maintaining records on the station'sprogramming schedule and records on the status of operating apparatus.Computer, 73, has means for receiving input information from localinput, 74, and from remote stations via telephone or other data transfernetwork, 98. Such input information can include the complete programmingschedule of the station of FIG. 6, with each discrete unit ofprogramming identified by its own “program unit identification code”information. Such input information can indicate when and how thestation should expect to receive each program unit, when and on whichchannel or channels and how the station should transmit the unit, whatkind of programming the unit is—eg., conventional television,television/computer combined medium programming, etc.—and how thestation should process the programming. Computer, 73, is preprogrammedto receive and record said schedule information and may record it in RAMor on an appropriate recording medium such as a magnetic disk at a diskdrive. Likewise, computer, 73, is preprogrammed to maintain records ofthe control instructions that computer, 73, transmits to all controlledapparatus which records indicate, at any given time, the operatingstatus of each controlled apparatus.

Computer, 73, monitors the operation of the head end station by means ofTV signal decoders, 77, 79, 80, 84, and 88, each of which are shown indetail in FIG. 2A. Computer, 73, has means to communicate controlinformation with each decoder, 77, 79, 80, 84, and 88, to instruct eachhow to operate and how and where to search for SPAM information. (Thecontrol system of the station of FIG. 6 may be reconfigured to have thesignal processor of system, 71, control said decoders, 77, 79, 80, 84,and 88, if decryption of encrypted SPAM message information is requiredat said decoders.)

Computer, 73, monitors outgoing programming by means of decoders, 80,84, and 88. By decoders, 80, 84, and 88, to select and transfer SPAMmeter-monitor information and by comparing said information toinformation of its contained schedule records, computer, 73, candetermine whether scheduled programming is being transmitted properly tofield distribution system, 93, on each cable channel of the station ofFIG. 6. Whenever computer, 73, detects errors, computer, 73, can executepredetermined error correction procedures which may include sounding analarm to alert station personnel.

Computer, 73, monitors incoming programming by means of theaforementioned dedicated decoders of signal processor system, 71. Bymeans of the SPAM message information, with source mark information,received from code reader, 72, computer, 73, determines what specificprogram unit has been received by each receiver, 53 through 62, and ispassing in line, via each distribution amplifier, 63 through 70, tomatrix switch, 75.

By comparing selected meter-monitor information of said messageinformation with information of the programming schedule receivedearlier from input, 74, and/or network, 98, computer, 73, can determine,in a predetermined fashion, when and on what channel or channels thestation of FIG. 6 should transmit the programming of each receivedprogram unit.

Computer, 73, has means for communicating control information withmatrix switch, 75, and video recorders, 76 and 78, and can causeselected programming to be transmitted to field distribution system, 93,or recorded.

Determining that particular incoming programming is scheduled forimmediate retransmission can cause computer, 73, to cause matrix switch,75, to configure its switches so as to transfer said incomingprogramming to a scheduled output channel. For example, computer, 73,receives a given SPAM message that contains given “program unitidentification code” information and the added source mark informationof said message identifies distribution amplifier, 63. Receiving saidmessage causes computer, 73, to determine, in a predetermined fashion,that said “code” information matches particular preprogrammed scheduleinformation of programming that is scheduled to be retransmittedimmediately upon receipt to field distribution system, 93, via cablechannel modulator, 87. In its preprogrammed fashion, so determiningcauses computer, 73, to cause matrix switch, 75, to configure itsswitches so as to transfer the programming transmission inputted (viadistribution amplifier, 63) to matrix switch, 75, from TV receiver, 53,to that output of matrix switch, 75, that outputs to modulator, 87.

Determining that particular incoming programming is scheduled for timedeferred transmission can cause computer, 73, to cause the recording ofsaid programming. For example, computer, 73, receives a given SPAMmessage that contains given “program unit identification code”information and the added source mark information of said messageidentifies distribution amplifier, 67. Receiving said message causescomputer, 73, to determine, in a predetermined fashion, that said “code”information matches particular preprogrammed schedule information ofprogramming that is scheduled to be recorded upon receipt andtransmitted to the field system, 93, at a later time. So determiningcauses computer, 73, in its preprogrammed fashion, to select a videorecorder/player, 76 or 78; to cause said selected recorder, 76 or 78, toturn on and record programming; and to cause matrix switch, 75, toconfigure its switches so as to transfer the programming transmissioninputted (via distribution amplifier, 67) from television receiver, 58,to the output that leads to said selected recorder, 76 or 78. In sodoing, computer, 73, causes said selected recorder, 76 or 78, to recordsaid programming.

Determining that particular incoming programming is not scheduled fortransmission can cause computer, 73, to cause station apparatus todiscard the transmission of said programming. For example, computer, 73,receives a given SPAM message that contains given “program unitidentification code” information and the added source mark informationof said message identifies distribution amplifier, 69. Receiving saidmessage causes computer, 73, to determine, in a predetermined fashion,that said “code” information matches no particular preprogrammedschedule information. In its preprogrammed fashion, so determiningcauses computer, 73, either to cause matrix switch, 75, to configure itsswitches so as to transfer the programming transmission inputted (viadistribution amplifier, 69) to matrix switch, 75, from TV demodulator,61, to no output of matrix switch, 75; or to cause a selected recorder,76 or 78, to cease recording; or both.

Computer, 73, has capacity for determining what programming isprerecorded on the magnetic tapes (or other recording media) loaded onthe recorders, 76 and 78, and capacity for positioning the start points(or other selected points) of program units at the play heads of saidrecorders. Whenever programming is played on recorder, 76 or 78,decoder, 77 or 79 respectively, detects SPAM information embedded in theprerecorded programming played at the play heads of recorder, 76 or 78,and transmits said SPAM information to computer, 73. Said SPAMinformation can include not only “program unit identification code”information but also information regarding of the distance from thepoint on the tape at which a given SPAM message is embedded to the pointon the tape where the program unit begins and ends (or to any otherselected point). To position the start point (or another selected point)of a given program unit at the play heads of a given recorder, 76,computer, 73, instructs switch, 75, to configure its switches so as totransfer the transmission input from said recorder, 76, to no output.Then by instructing recorder, 76, to play and decoder, 77, to detectSPAM information in a particular location or locations, computer, 73,causes decoder, 77, to detect and transfer to computer, 73, said programunit and distance information. Receiving said information causescomputer, 73, to cause recorder, 76, to stop playing; to analyze saiddistance information in a predetermined fashion; and to compute theprecise time required to rewind to reach the start of the program unitor to move fast forward to reach the end. Then automatically, computer,73, causes said recorder, 76, first, to start rewinding or moving fastforward then to stop after the precise time elapses.

(Such distance information can be embedded as SPAM message informationsegment information anywhere in the programming that SPAM informationcan be embedded and need not repeat continuously—one embedded signalword is sufficient for this method to work. But a method wherein onlyone instance of distance information is embedded in any given programunit of programming has the disadvantage of causing too much apparatusat too many stations to spend too much time searching for said instance.In the preferred embodiment, distance information is embedded in therelevant normal transmission location of its programming and occursperiodically throughout a program unit with increasing frequency as thecloseness of the start or end of the programming approaches and with oneinstance, in television programming, occurring on the first and fourthframes and the last two frames of the programming.)

Computer, 73, has capacity for automatically organizing the locations ofunits of prerecorded programming on recording media such as magneticvideo tapes loaded on a plurality of recorder/players to play accordingto a given schedule. For example, four spot commercials—program units Q,Y, W, and D—are loaded on 76 and 78. D and Q are recorded on the videotape loaded on recorder, 76, with D first. W and Y are recorded on thetape on recorder, 78, with W first. According to the schedule recordedat computer, 73, Q should play first on the cable channel modulated bycable channel modulator, 83; then subsequently Y and W should start toplay simultaneously on the channels modulated by modulators, 83 and 87respectively; then D should play on the channel modulated by modulator,83, immediately after Y ends. Caused to organize the locations of saidunits to play according to said schedule, computer, 73, determinesautomatically, in a predetermined fashion, that units Q, Y and D shouldbe recorded on the tape loaded on recorder, 76, with Q recorded firstand D recorded immediately after Y. In a predetermined fashion,computer, 73, determines that insufficient available space exists on thetape on recorder, 76, to record Y immediately before D or on recorder,78, to record D immediately after Y. So determining causes computer, 73,automatically to locate a place on the tape loaded on recorder, 78, thatcontains sufficient space for recording D. (Computer, 73, can containrecords that identify how space on particular tapes is allocated or itcan locate this space by playing the tapes, retaining information of“program unit identification code” and distance information prerecordedon said tapes [or the absence of such information], and analyzing saidinformation in a predetermined fashion.) Automatically, computer, 73,verifies that the space is truly available by causing recorder, 78, tomove forward or rewind to the start of the located space then to playfor the duration of the space; by causing decoder, 79, simultaneously tosearch for embedded SPAM message information, detect said information,and transfer said information to computer, 73; and by checking thedetected SPAM information in a predetermined fashion to ensure thatdetected meter-monitor information does not identify a program unit thatis scheduled to be transmitted at a future time. Determining saidlocated space to be available causes computer, 73, to cause recorder,76, to move forward or rewind to the start of program unit D; to causerecorder, 78, to rewind to the start of said located space; and to causeswitch, 75, to configure its switches so as to transfer the output ofrecorder, 76, to the input of recorder, 78. Automatically, computer, 73,then causes recorder, 76, to play and recorder, 78, to record for theduration of program unit D. Then automatically, in a predeterminedfashion, computer, 73, alters the records it contains to reflect thelocation of unit D on recorder, 78, and that the space on the tape onrecorder, 76, that program unit D had occupied is now available and maybe recorded over. (Computer, 73, may automatically make available thespace on the tape on recorder, 76, that program unit D has occupied bycausing recorder, 76, to rewind to the start of said space and to eraseor record for the duration of D—since the output of recorder, 78, is theinput to recorder, 76, and since recorder, 78, is not playing, arecording so recorded by recorder, 76, would contain no programming orSPAM information.) Program unit D is now recorded on the tape onrecorder, 78, and program unit Q is the only unit on recorder, 76. Thenautomatically, in the locating fashion described above, computer, 73,locates an available space on the tape on recorder, 76, that is largeenough for recording program units Y and D together. Computer, 73,verifies the availability of the space in the verifying fashion above.Computer, 73, causes recorder, 78, to move forward or rewind to thestart of program unit Y; causes recorder, 76, to rewind to the start ofthe available space; and causes switch, 75, to configure its switches soas to transfer the output of recorder, 78, to the input of recorder, 76.Computer, 73, causes recorder, 78, to play And recorder, 76, to recordfor the duration of program unit Y. Computer, 73, causes recorder, 78,to move forward or rewind to the start of program unit D and causesrecorder, 78, to play and recorder, 76, to record for the duration ofprogram unit D. Finally, in the record keeping fashion above, computer,73, alters its contained records to document the locations of Y and D onthe tape on recorder, 76, and the availability of the spaces that Y andD have occupied on the tape on recorder, 78, for recording otherprogramming. (The station of FIG. 6 may have, at recorders, 76 and 78,stripping and embedding apparatus such as signal strippers, 81 and 85,and signal generators, 82 and 86, and computer, 73, may cause saidgenerator apparatus to record at particular places on the tapes loadedat recorders, 76 and 78, information of the contained records ofcomputer, 73, that identify how space on said tapes is allocated.) Inthis fashion, computer, 73, causes units Y and W to be located ondifferent recorders because said units are scheduled to be transmittedsimultaneously and units Y then D to be located in sequence on the samerecorder because unit D is scheduled to play on the same channelimmediately after Y.

Computer, 73, has capacity for automatically playing organized scheduledprogram units according to its recorded station schedule. Computer, 73,may be caused to commence playing any given unit of programmingpreviously loaded at a recorder, 76 or 78, in any of a number ofdifferent fashions. For example, a remote program originating studio canembed and transmit a SPAM message that contains particular cueinginformation, and receiving said message can cause controller, 73, tocause a selected recorder, 76 or 78, to commence playing a tape that hasbeen positioned at the tape head of said recorder, 76 or 78, accordingto the schedule of computer, 73. Or for example, the aforementionedclock of computer, 83, may be caused, in a predetermined fashion, totransmit time information periodically, and receiving particular timeinformation can cause controller, 73, to cause a selected recorder, 76or 78, to commence playing said tape.

In the preferred embodiment, in the case of so-called “cut ins” tonetwork transmissions, any given intermediate station computer, 73, iscued (that is, caused) to cut in any given local transmission ofprerecorded programming (or top a given local transmission) by a SPAMmessage (that contains an execution segment and a meter-monitor segmentthat contains “program unit identification code” information of theprogram unit in which it is embedded) that is a cueing message and thatis embedded in a given network transmission and transmitted by theprogram originating studio that originates the transmission of saidnetwork. In the case of sequential transmissions of more than oneprogram unit of so-called “local origination” programming, eachintermediate station computer, 73, is cued to start transmission of thefirst unit by a time transmission of the aforementioned clock of saidcomputer, 73, (or in the case of a cut in to a network transmission, bya network transmitted SPAM cueing message), and the transmission of eachsubsequent unit is cued by such a SPAM cueing message that is embeddedin the last one-half second of the programming of its predecessorprogram unit.

For example, in the case of the aforementioned schedule of computer, 73,units Q, Y, and D are scheduled to be cut into a particular firstnetwork transmission that is received at receiver, 53, and istransferred to field distribution system, 93, via modulator, 83. Unit Wis scheduled to be cut into a particular second network transmissionthat is received at receiver, 58, and is transferred to fielddistribution system, 93, via modulator, 87.

Completing the organization of any given group of pre-scheduled tapescauses computer, 73, automatically to position the first organized unitor units to play according to schedule. Accordingly, completing theabove described organization of any units Q, Y, W, and D causescomputer, 73, automatically to cause recorder, 76, to move forward orrewind to the start of unit Q and to cause recorder, 78, to move forwardor rewind to the start of unit W.

In due course, a particular first instance of the aforementioned SPAMcueing message is embedded in said first network transmission andtransmitted at the program originating studio that originates saidtransmission (hereinafter, said first instance is called the“first-network-cue-to-transmit-locally message (#8)”) then, after aninterval of time equal to the duration of the playing of unit Q passes,a particular second instance of said message is embedded at said studioand transmitted in said transmission (hereinafter, said second instanceis called the “first-network-cue-to-transmit-network message (#8)”).

Said first and second instances are each detected at that decoder ofsignal processor system, 71, that continuously processes thetransmission outputted by distribution amplifier, 63, and are inputtedto computer, 73, with appropriate source mark information.

Receiving said first instance causes computer, 73, under control ofinstructions of said schedule, to cause recorder, 76, to commenceplaying and to cause matrix switch, 75, to configure its switches tocease transferring the transmission received at receiver, 53, tomodulator, 83, and to commence transferring the output of recorder, 76,to modulator, 83. In so doing, computer, 73, causes the cable head endstation of FIG. 6 to cease transmitting said first network transmissionto field distribution system, 93, and to commence transmitting thelocally originated transmission of unit Q. Then receiving said secondinstance causes computer, 73, under control of instructions of saidschedule, to cause matrix switch, 75, to configure its switches to ceasetransferring the output of recorder, 76, to modulator, 83, and tocommence transferring the transmission received at receiver, 53, tomodulator, 83, and to cause recorder, 76, to cease playing and to moveforward or rewind to the start of unit Y. In so doing, computer, 73,causes the head end station of FIG. 6 to cease transmitting to fielddistribution system, 93, the locally originated transmission of unit Q;to recommence transmitting said first network transmission; and toprepare to play the locally originated transmission of unit Y. In thislocating and playing fashion, computer, 73, can then play program unitsY, W, and D according to its recorded schedule. (Because unit D isscheduled to play immediately after Y on the same channel, no SPAMcueing message causes computer, 73, to cause recorder, 76, to stopplaying or matrix switch, 75, to switch another transmission tomodulator, 83, until Y and D have both played.)

FIG. 6 shows particular signal processor system monitoring apparatusassociated with the intermediate station of FIG. 6. In fielddistribution system, 93, amplifier, 94, inputs programming transmissionsto signal processor system, 71, (where said transmissions are inputtedto one alternate contact of the switch, 1, of the signal processor ofsaid system, 71), and amplifier, 95, inputs programming transmissions tosignal processor, 96, which permits both signal processor apparatus tomonitor all programming transmitted by the cable television system headend station to field distribution system, 93, in the fashion of thesignal processor, 200, of FIG. 3 in example #5. By recording alldifferent received “program unit identification code” information in thefashion described above, said signal processor apparatus canautomatically record, for each transmission channel of the station ofFIG. 6, information, for example, that the U.S. Federal CommunicationsCommission requires broadcast station operators to maintain as stationlogs. And said signal processor apparatus can transmit such records ofprogramming to remote sites via telephone or other data transfernetworks, 97 and 99 respectively. In this fashion, said signal processorapparatus can automatically provide their contained records to one ormore remote independent auditor stations.

In the preferred embodiment, at least two signal processors (such as thesignal processor of said system, 71, and signal processor, 96) monitorthe transmissions of any given transmission station. One (eg., thesignal processor of said system, 71) is at said station which permitsstation personnel to inspect said one and ensure that said one isoperating continuously and correctly. At least one other (eg., signalprocessor, 96) is located at a site within the distribution system ofsaid station (eg., field system, 93) that is remote from thetransmission station of said site, and said is inspected and serviced byindependent auditor personnel. The records of said processors areregularly caused to be transmitted to one or more remote auditingstations (eg., by networks, 98 and 99), in the fashions described above,and computers at said stations are caused to receive said records,compare said records with each other, and record any differences betweenthe two sets of records are recorded.

The cases of the transmission of units Q, Y, W, and D provide examplesof the operation of signal processor apparatus, 71 and 96. As theaforementioned program originating studio of the aforementioned firstand second network transmissions transmit programming, at said signalprocessor apparatus, 71 and 96, switches, 1; mixers, 3; and TV signaldecoders, 30, detect SPAM message information in successive channeltransmissions of the station of FIG. 6, under control of controllers,20, and oscillators, 6, and transmit detected SPAM information toonboard controllers, 14A, causing signal records of program unitstransmitted at said station to be retained, recorded, and retransmittedto remote auditing stations in the fashion of example #5, above. AnySPAM message that contains meter-monitor information can cause saidapparatus, 71 and 96, to detect, transmit, retain, record, andretransmit in the fashion described above. For example, a SPAM cueingmessage such as the aforementioned first-network-cue-to-transmit-locallymessage (#8) can cause not only the cut in and transmission of locallyoriginated programming (eg. the programming of unit Q) but also theprocessing of meter-monitor information. in the fashion described inexample #5, at said apparatus, 71 and 96. Said message could cause saidapparatus, 71 and 96, to add time information to retained signalrecords, thereby documenting a last instance of receiving the “programunit identification code” information contained in the meter-monitorinformation of said message. And embedding SPAM messages in theprerecorded programming of, for example, program unit Q that contain“program unit identification code” information that identifies unit Qcan cause the station of FIG. 6 to transmit said messages in itstransmission of Q, thereby causing said apparatus, 71 and 96, to detect,retain, and retransmit signal records of said “code” information whichsignal records serve as so-called “proof of performance” that theprogramming of said program unit Q was transmitted according to scheduleby the station of FIG. 6.

So far this disclosure has described an intermediate transmissionstation that transmits conventional television programming; however, theintermediate station automating concepts of the present invention applyto all forms of electronically transmitted programming. The station ofFIG. 6 can process and transmit radio programming in the fashions of theabove television programming by adding radio transmission and audiorecorder/player means, each with associated radio decoder means as shownin FIG. 2B, wherever television means are shown in FIG. 6, all withsimilar control means to that shown in FIG. 6 and by processing radioprogramming with appropriately embedded signals according to the sameprocessing and transmitting methods described above. Likewise, saidstation can transmit broadcast print and data communications programmingby adding appropriate transmission and recorder/player means anddecoder/detector means with control means and using the same processingand transmitting methods. This example has described methods at amulti-channel intermediate transmission station; the methods are alsoapplicable in a station that transmits only a single channel oftelevision, radio, broadcast print or data. In addition, the programmingand SPAM information transmitted to intermediate transmission stationcan be encrypted and decrypted and monitored in the fashions describedabove. Intermediate transmission station apparatus can include signalprocessing regulating system apparatus such as the apparatus of FIG. 4by means of which encrypted transmissions that are transmitted tointermediate stations are caused to be decrypted and metered.Intermediate transmission station apparatus can include encryptorapparatus that encrypt programming transmissions selectively. Andintermediate transmission station apparatus can include signalprocessing monitoring system apparatus in the spirit of the apparatus ofFIG. 5 whereby the availability, use, and usage of programming atselected intermediate station apparatus is recorded and records aretransmitted to remote stations that process such records.

Automating Intermediate Transmission Stations . . . Example #8

Using the capacity described above for identifying, selecting, andrecording received programming; for organizing recorded programming toplay according to schedule; for playing selected organized programmingon schedule; and for retaining, recording, and retransmitting monitorrecords that document the transmission of program units, a remotedistribution station can transmit to a plurality of intermediatetransmission stations programming that is scheduled for delayedtransmission, cause each station of said plurality automatically toselect and retransmit programming according to its own specificschedule, and cause signal processing apparatus automatically totransmit to a remote auditing station or stations signal records thatdocument the transmission of specific program units at the specificstations of said plurality.

One such remote distribution station might be, for example, a so-called“satellite uplink” that transmits programming, in a fashion well knownin the art, to a plurality of receiver stations via a satellitetransponder (said intermediate transmission stations being among saidreceiver stations). Said programming might be, for example, so-called“television spot commercials.” Providing means where by one station cantransmit programming to a plurality of intermediate transmissionstations and cause each intermediate station to transmit its ownspecific selected units of said programming according to its ownspecific schedule enables one such distribution station such as aso-called “spot rep.” agency that sells the so-called “spot time” ofmany, widely separated local broadcast stations and cable systems totransmit many different spot commercial program units to said stationsand systems automatically and cause each station or system automaticallyto retransmit its specific selected commercial program units accordingto its specific schedule. And providing means that document the specificprogram units transmitted at each specific station enables saiddistribution station to provide so-called “proof of performance” toparties who pay for the transmission of said spot commercials.

Example #8 illustrates a remote distribution station transmittingprogramming and causing apparatus at a plurality of intermediatetransmission stations to operate in this fashion.

In example #8, a given remote distribution station that is located inCarteret, N.J., USA transmits television programming to a plurality ofintermediate transmission stations by means of a satellite that islocated approximately 20,000 miles above the Earth in so-called“geosynchronous orbit” and transmits programming to the North Americancontinent. Among said intermediate stations are cable system head endslocated in California and Florida, broadcast stations located in Texasand Washington, D.C., and the station of FIG. 6 which is, for example,in Vermont.

At each intermediate transmission station is a computer, 73, that ispreprogrammed to receive, process, and record, in a predeterminedfashion, program schedule information that is transmitted from saidremote distribution station. And the signal processor system, 71, andthe computer, 73, of each station are preprogrammed to processparticular SPAM message instructions are transmitted from said remotedistribution station.

At a particular time on a particular day—for example, at 5 P.M. easternstandard time, on Jan. 27, 1988—said remote distribution stationcommences contacting, individually and in turn in a fashion well knownin the art, the computers, 73, of each of said intermediate station, viatelephone or other data transfer network, 98 (which has capacity tocommunicate information individually between said remote station andeach of said computers, 73). Said remote station inputs scheduleinformation to each computer, 73. Said information identifies theparticular time and date when all of said intermediate transmissionstations should commence receiving a particular satellitetransmission—for example, at 4 A.M. eastern standard time, on Jan. 28,1988—and which particular satellite transponder transmission saidstations should prepare to receive the programming on—for example,transponder 23 on the Galaxy 1 satellite. Said schedule information alsoidentifies to each specific computer, 73, which specific program units,transmitted via said transponder, said computer, 73, should cause theapparatus of its station to select and record, and when and on whichchannel of said station said computer, 73, should cause the apparatus ofsaid station to transmit each of said program units to the fielddistribution system, 93, of said station. For example, in the case ofthe computer, 73, of the station of FIG. 6, said remote distributionstation informs said computer, 73, to select and record program units Q,D, Y, and W; to transmit program unit Q at 2:30:30 PM eastern standardtime, on Jan. 29, 1988 on the cable channel transmitting the Cable NewsNetwork; to transmit program unit Y at 2:45:00 PM eastern standard time,on Jan. 29, 1988 on the cable channel transmitting the Cable NewsNetwork; to transmit program unit W at 2:45:00 PM eastern standard time,on Jan. 29, 1988 on the cable channel transmitting the USA CableNetwork; to transmit program unit D at 9:15:30 PM eastern standard time,on Jan. 30, 1988 on the cable channel transmitting the Cable NewsNetwork.

In inputting schedule information to each computer, 73, said remotedistribution station instructs different computers, 73, to operatedifferently. For example, said remote station instructs a particularFlorida computer, 73, at a cable system head end station in Florida(which computer, 73, is not the computer, 73, of the station of FIG. 6)to select and record program units Q, J, and L; to transmit program unitJ at 2:30:30 PM eastern standard time, on Jan. 29, 1988 on the cablechannel of said station in Florida that transmits the Cable NewsNetwork; and to transmit units Q and L subsequently at particular timeson the cable channel of said station that transmits the SpanishInternational Network.

Subsequently, at a particular time—more precisely, at 3:50 A.M. easternstandard time, on Jan. 28, 1988—said schedule information and particularpreprogrammed receive-scheduled-programming instructions at eachcomputer, 73, cause the computers, 73, at said intermediate transmissionstations each, in a predetermined fashion, to commence preparing itsparticular station to receive and record information of the transmissionof transponder 23 of the Galaxy 1 satellite. Automatically, at thestation of FIG. 6, the computer, 73, instructs a selected earth station,50, to move its antenna so as to receive transmissions from a satelliteat the celestial coordinates of the Galaxy 1 satellite and instructsamplifier, 51, and receiver, 53, to amplify and tune as required toreceive the transmission of the frequency of the transponder 23 of saidsatellite. (Said celestial coordinates and the transmission frequency ofsaid transponder are preprogrammed at the computer, 73, of each of saidintermediate stations, and while FIG. 6 does not show means wherebycomputer, 73, can control earth station, 50, amplifier, 51, andreceiver, 53, said means are well known in the art and exist at each ofsaid intermediate stations, including the station of FIG. 6.)Automatically, at the station of FIG. 6, the computer, 73, causes matrixswitch, 75, to configure its switches so as to transfer transmissionsfrom receiver, 53, to a selected primary recorder, 76; causes saidrecorder, 76, to turn on; and causes said recorder, 76, to move forwardor rewind to a particular place on the tape loaded at its record headsuch as the start of the tape. Automatically, said computer, 73, alsocauses a selected secondary recorder, 78, to turn on and causes saidrecorder, 78, to move forward or rewind to a particular place on thetape loaded at its record head such as the start of the tape. (Thestation could include apparatus well known in the art for automaticallyloading tape on said recorders, 76 and 78, and control means wherebycomputer, 73, could instruct said apparatus to load a particular tapesselectively on recorder, 76 and 78.) Simultaneously, the computer, 73,of every other one of said intermediate stations similarly to prepare toreceive and record information of the transmission of transponder 23 ofthe Galaxy 1 satellite.

At 4 A.M. eastern standard time, on Jan. 28, 1988 said remotedistribution station commences transmitting programming by satelliteup-link means, well known in the art. Said programming consists of asequence of the program units of 26 spot commercials, each of thirtyseconds duration. In succession, said station transmits units A, B, C,D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, 0, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z.Embedded in each of said program units are SPAM messages containingappropriate “program unit identification code” information and distanceinformation. Separating the transmission of the end of each program unitand the commencement of the succeeding unit is a brief interval of time.Before transmitting the first program unit and, subsequently, in eachone of said intervals, said distribution station transmits a SPAMmessage that contains execution and meter-monitor segments. Each messagecontains the same execution segment information that is addressed to ITScomputers, 73, and instructs each computer, 73, to identify theinformation in the meter-monitor segment of said message, to comparesaid “code” information to the preprogrammed schedule information ofsaid computer, 73, and if a match results, to select and record theprogramming of the program unit that follows said message, or if nomatch results, to not select and not record said programming. Eachmessage contains meter-monitor “program unit identification code”information of the program unit that immediately follows. (Hereinafter,said messages are called individually the “select-A-message (#8),” the“select-B-message (#8),” the “select-C-message (#8),” and so forth up tothe “select-Z-message (#8),” each message referring to the correspondingprogram unit: A, B, C, and so forth up to Z, respectively, and saidmessages are called collectively the “cue-to-select messages (#8).”) Inthe preferred embodiment, the length of each of said intervals isgreater than the minimum amount of time necessary for each and every oneof said intermediate stations to cause a recorder to commence recordinga properly recorded recording of said programming, and said distributionstation transmits each of said SPAM messages early enough beforecommencing to transmit its succeeding program unit to enable allintermediate stations that record said unit to record said unitcompletely.

Transmitting said programming and said cue-to-select messages (#8)causes signal processing system apparatus at each of said stations todetect said cue-to-select messages (#8) and input said messages to thecomputers, 73, of said intermediate stations. At the station of FIG. 6,said cue-to-select messages (#8) are detected and transferred tocomputer, 73, by that dedicated decoder of signal processing system, 71,that receives a transmission from distribution amplifier, 63.

The computers, 73, of said intermediate stations are preprogrammed toprocess the information of said cue-to-select messages (#8), andreceiving any given one of said messages causes each computer, 73, ofone of said intermediate transmission stations to determine whether the“program unit identification code” information of said one matchesschedule information previously inputted to said computer, 73, by saiddistribution station. Determining a match causes said computer, 73, tocause apparatus of its station to record the programming of the programunit transmitted immediately after said one. Not determining a matchcauses said computer, 73, to cause apparatus of its station not torecord said program unit.

At the computer, 73, of the station of FIG. 6, receiving theselect-A-message (#8), the select-B-message (#8), and theselect-C-message (#8), cause said computer, 73, not to cause recordingof the programming of program units A, B, and C. Then receiving theselect-D-message (#8) causes said computer, 73, to determine that the“program unit identification code” information of unit D matchespreprogrammed schedule information which causes said computer, 73, tocause recorder, 76, to commence recording, thereby causing saidrecorder, 76, to record the programming of program unit D which followssaid select-D-message (#8). Then receiving the select-E-message (#8)causes said computer, 73, to determine that the “program unitidentification code” information of unit E does not match anypreprogrammed schedule information which causes said computer, 73, tocause recorder, 76, to cease recording, thereby causing said recorder,76, not to record the programming of program unit E which follows saidselect-E-message (#8). Subsequently, receiving the select-Q-message (#8)causes said computer, 73, to determine that the “program unitidentification code” information of unit Q matches preprogrammedschedule information which causes said computer, 73, to cause recorder,76, to commence recording, thereby causing said recorder, 76, to recordthe programming of program unit Q which follows said select-Q-message(#8). Then receiving the select-R-message (#8) causes said computer, 73,to determine that the “program unit identification code” information ofunit R does not match any preprogrammed schedule information whichcauses said computer, 73, to cause recorder, 76, to cease recording,thereby causing said recorder, 76, not to record the programming ofprogram unit R which follows said select-R-message (#8).

Each computer, 73, of said intermediate stations is preprogrammed toaccount for and keep track of the quantity of time available foradditional recording on the individual tapes loaded on the recorders(eg., 76 and 78) of its station, and receiving any given message of saidcue-to-select messages (#8) can cause any given computer, 73, to causethe apparatus of its station to switch from a primary to a secondary,recorder of said station. For example, at the station of FIG. 6, eachtime computer, 73, receives a SPAM message that identifies the end of aprogram unit that its primary recorder, 76, has been recording, saidcomputer, 73, determines, in a predetermined fashion, whether sufficienttape recording capacity exists on said recorder, 76, to continuerecording. Determining that sufficient capacity does not exist causescomputer, 73, to switch the input of the received transmission of saidremote distribution station to the aforementioned alternate recorder,recorder, 78. At the station of FIG. 6, receiving said select-R-message(#8) causes said computer, 73, (after causing recorder, 76, to ceaserecording) to cause matrix switch, 75, to configure its switches tocommence transferring the transmission from receiver, 53, to recorder,78, and to cease transferring said transmission to recorder, 76.

In due course, receiving the select-W-message (#8) causes said computer,73, to determine that the “program unit identification code” informationof unit W matches preprogrammed schedule information which causes saidcomputer, 73, to cause recorder, 78, to commence recording, therebycausing said recorder, 78, to record the programming of program unit Wwhich follows said select-W-message (#8). Then receiving theselect-X-message (#8) causes said computer, 73, to cause recorder, 78,to cease recording, thereby causing said recorder, 78, not to record theprogramming of program unit X. Then, receiving the select-Y-message (#8)causes said computer, 73, to cause recorder, 78, to commence recording,thereby causing said recorder, 78, to record the programming of programunit Y. Then receiving the select-Z-message (#8) causes said computer,73, to cease recording.

Whenever any given computer, 73, of said intermediate stations causes arecorder (eg., 76 or 78) of its station to cease recording, saidcomputer, 73, then checks its contained records in a predeterminedfashion to determine whether all scheduled program units have beenreceived (and, hence, that no further units will be received). And whensaid remote distribution station finishes transmitting the final programunit (unit Z), said station transmits a particular final SPAM messagethat, in a predetermined fashion, causes any given computer, 73, whoserecords show that one or more program units remain unreceived todetermine that no units will be received.

Whenever any given computer, 73, of said stations determines that nofurther units will be received, said computer, 73, causes apparatus ofits station to cease receiving the transmission of said remotedistribution station, alters its operating records to show that thereceiver apparatus receiving said transmission is available for otheruse; and commences automatically organizing, in the fashions describedabove, the order of the program units so selected and recorded andplaying said units according to its contained schedule.

At the station of FIG. 6, receiving said select-Z-message (#8) causescomputer, 73, to determine that program units Q, Y, W, and D have beenreceived and that no further units will be received. Determining that nofurther units will be received causes computer, 73, to cause matrixswitch, 75, to configure its switches so as to transfer transmissionsinputted from receiver, 53, to no output; to alter its operating recordsto show that the receiver apparatus receiving the transmission of saidremote distribution station is no longer in use and is available; and toorganize the locations of the recorded program units, D, Q, W, and Y, toplay according to the schedule inputted by said distribution station inthe fashion described above (in the paragraph of the section,“AUTOMATING INTERMEDIATE TRANSMISSION STATIONS,” that begins, “Computer,73, has capacity for automatically organizing the locations of units ofprerecorded programming . . . to play according to a given schedule”).

(In so transmitting said programming and said cue-to-select messages(#8), said remote distribution station causes different intermediatetransmission stations to select and record different programming and toorganize recorded program units differently. For example, transmittingthe select-J-message (#8), the select-K-message (#8) theselect-L-message (#8), the select-M-message (#8), the select-Q-message(#8), and the select-R-message (#8) causes signal processing apparatusat the aforementioned cable system head end station in Florida to inputthe aforementioned Florida computer, 73, that said distribution hasinstructed to select, record, and play program units Q, J, and Laccording to schedule. Receiving said select-J-message (#8), theselect-L-message (#8), and the select-Q-message (#8) cause said Floridacomputer, 73, to determine that “program unit identification code”information matches preprogrammed schedule information which causes saidFlorida computer, 73, to cause a selected recorder of said station tocommence recording, thereby causing said recorder to record theprogramming of program units J, L, and Q. Receiving the select-K-message(#8) and the select-M-message (#8) causes said Florida computer, 73, todetermine that “program unit identification code” information does notmatch preprogrammed schedule information which causes said computer, 73,to cause said recorder, 76, to cease recording. And receiving theselect-R-message (#8) and the select-M-message (#8) causes said Floridacomputer, 73, to determine that no further units will be received and toorganize the locations of the recorded program units, J, L, and Q, toplay according to its own schedule, previously inputted by saiddistribution station.)

In due course, as described above, completing the organization of unitsQ, Y, W, and D causes the computer, 73, of the station of FIG. 6automatically to cause recorder, 76, to move forward or rewind to thestart of unit Q and to cause recorder, 78, to move forward or rewind tothe start of unit W. (Completing the organization of units J, L, and Qcauses said Florida computer, 73, automatically to cause theaforementioned recorder of its station to move forward or rewind to thestart of unit J.)

At a particular time prior to 2:30 PM eastern standard time, on Jan. 29,1988 particular preprogrammed schedule-network information andreceive-scheduled-programming instructions cause the computer, 73, ofthe station of FIG. 6 to cause apparatus at said station to receive thetransmission of the Cable Channel Network; to transmit said transmissionto field distribution system, 93, via the cable channel of modulator,83; and to commence processing monitor information embedded in saidtransmission. Automatically, said computer, 73, causes earth station,50, to move its antenna so as to receive transmissions from a satelliteat particular preprogrammed celestial coordinates; causes amplifier, 51,and receiver, 53, to amplify and tune as required to receive thetransmission of the particular preprogrammed frequency of a particularCNN transponder of said satellite; and causes matrix switch, 75, toconfigure its switches so as to transfer transmissions from receiver,53, to modulator, 83. Automatically, signal processor, 96, and thesignal processor of signal processor system, 71, each commence detectingSPAM messages in said transmission and retaining and recording signalrecords of Cable News Network program units.

At 2:30:29 PM eastern standard time, on Jan. 29, 1988 the Atlanta, Ga.program originating studio that originates said transmission of theCable Channel Network embeds the aforementionedfirst-network-cue-to-transmit-locally message (#8) in said transmissionand transits said transmission to said CNN transponder. Automatically,said transponder retransmits said transmission, said transmission isreceived at the station of FIG. 6, and said message is inputted tocomputer, 73, with source mark information of distribution amplifier,63. (Automatically, said message is also inputted to the computers, 73,of others of said intermediate transmission stations including saidFlorida computer, 73.)

Receiving said first-network-cue-to-transmit-locally message (#8) causesthe computer, 73, of the station of FIG. 6, as described above, to causethe apparatus of said station to cease transmitting the Cable NewsNetwork transmission to field distribution system, 93, and to commencetransmitting the locally originated transmission of unit Q. (Receivingsaid first-network-cue-to-transmit-locally message (#8) causes saidFlorida computer, 73, to cause the apparatus of its station to ceasetransmitting the Cable News Network transmission to its fielddistribution system and to commence transmitting the locally originatedtransmission of unit J.)

Because said first-network-cue-to-transmit-locally message (#8) istransmitted, via matrix switch, 73, to field distribution system, 93, atthe station of FIG. 6 (and so transmitted also at the station of saidFlorida computer, 73) before receiving said message can cause saidswitch, 73, to cease transmitting said Cable News Network transmissionto said field, 93, receiving said first-network-cue-to-transmit-locallymessage (#8) causes the signal processor of the signal processor system,71, and the signal processor, 96, of station of FIG. 6 to retain signalrecord information of the meter-monitor information of saidfirst-network-cue-to-transmit-locally message (#8) as described above.(Receiving said message causes corresponding signal processor apparatusat the station of said Florida computer, 73, similarly to retain signalrecord information.)

Causing the apparatus of the station of FIG. 6 to commence transmittingthe locally originated transmission of unit Q to field distributionsystem, 93, causes the signal processor of the signal processor system,71, and the signal processor, 96, of station of FIG. 6 to retain signalrecord information of the meter-monitor information of SPAM messagesembedded in the prerecorded programming of said unit Q, as describedabove; causes said processors (in the fashion described in example #3above) each to record previously retained signal record information ofthe prior programming—i.e., programming of said Cable News Network—andmay cause one or both of said processors to transmit signal recordinformation or one or more remote auditing stations.

At 2:30:59 PM eastern standard time, on Jan. 29, 1988 said programoriginating studio that originates said transmission of the CableChannel Network embeds the aforementionedfirst-network-cue-to-transmit-network message (#8) in said transmissionand transits said transmission to said CNN transponder. Andautomatically, said message is inputted, with source mark information,to the computer, 73, of the station of FIG. 6 (and to said Floridacomputer, 73).

Receiving said first-network-cue-to-transmit-network message (#8) causesthe computer, 73, of the station of FIG. 6, to cause the apparatus ofsaid station, as described above, to cease transmitting to fielddistribution system, 93, the locally originated transmission of unit Q;to recommence transmitting said Cable News Network transmission; and toprepare to play the locally originated transmission of unit Y. (At thestation of said Florida computer, 73, receiving saidfirst-network-cue-to-transmit-network message (#8) causes said Floridacomputer, 73, to cause the apparatus of said station to ceasetransmitting the locally originated transmission of unit J; torecommence transmitting said Cable News Network transmission; and toprepare to play the locally originated transmission of unit Q or unitL.)

Subsequently, other SPAM cueing messages cause the computer, 73, of thestation of FIG. 6; said Florida computer, 73; and the computers, 73, ofothers of said intermediate transmission stations to locate, position toplay, and transmit automatically other local origination program units.And the transmission of other SPAM messages with meter-monitorinformation cause the signal processors at said intermediatetransmission station to retain, record, and transmit to remote auditingstations signal records that document the specific program unitstransmitted at each specific one of said stations.

In this fashion, a remote distribution station can deliver prerecordedprogramming to a plurality of intermediate transmission stations,control the automatic time-delayed insertion of specific program unitsof programming into other programming transmissions at specificintermediate transmission stations according to the specific schedule ofeach station, and cause records to be recorded and transmitted to aremote auditing station or stations that document which specific programunits were transmitted at which specific station at what specific times.

Automating Intermediate Station Combined Medium Operations . . .(Including Example #9)

The station of FIG. 6 has capacity to automatically process and transmittelevision-based combined medium programming such as that of the “WallStreet Week” example above. In the case of programming that istransmitted to said station with all required program instruction setsand combining synch commands already properly embedded, said stationrecords and transmits said programming just as said station records andtransmits conventional television programming.

But said station also has means for automatically generating andembedding combined medium programming control instructions in certainfashions. FIG. 6 shows signal strippers, 81, 85, and 89, of which modelsexist well known in the art, that computer, 73, can cause to remove SPAMinformation from programming as required, and signal generators, 82, 86,and 90, also well known in the art, that computer, 73, can cause toembed SPAM information as required. Said generators, 82, 86, and 90,have capacity for receiving control information and programming in atransmission from computer, 73, and distinguishing, in a predeterminedfashion, said control information from said programming. Said strippers,81, 85, and 89, and generators, 82, 86, and 90, have capacity forstripping or embedding SPAM information at as little as one portion ofone line of one frame of a television transmission or as much as everyline of every frame and capacity to strip or insert SPAM information ona given frame at multiple, noncontiguous locations.

For sake of example, program units, Q and D, above are combined mediumprogramming of the same sort as “Wall Street Week” except that computer,73, must insert one or more particular locally generated programinstruction sets into a local transmission of the programming of each ofsaid program units. For example, program unit Q is a spot commercial ofa supermarket chain that describes discounts and so-called “cents-offcoupon specials” at local supermarkets. The particular formulas thatapply to discounts and the particular items on special vary fromspecific supermarket to specific supermarket and from time to time, andthe information in the embedded program instruction sets of any giventransmission of unit Q must reflect the particular formulas and itemsthat apply at specific local supermarkets at the time of saidtransmission.

Program units Q and D are delivered, organized to play, and playedaccording to schedule in the automatic fashions described above but withcertain variations.

Computer, 73, is preprogrammed to process combined medium programming.When the aforementioned remote distribution station inputs informationto computer, 73, via network, 98, regarding unit Q, said distributionstation inputs information that Q is particular combined mediumprogramming and instructs computer, 73, to commence particular programinstruction set generation in a particular fashion at a particular timeinterval prior to the scheduled playing of Q. (Hereinafter, a particularinstance of such a time period is called “interval,” as in “interval Q”of unit Q.) Inputting said information and instructions causes Computer,73, to record said information and instructions in its record keepingfashion together with the scheduled generation time which computer, 73,calculates as the scheduled play time minus interval Q. Prior to thescheduled generation time, particular local-formula-and-item informationis inputted to computer, 73, regarding the formulas and items that applyin the case of this particular transmission of Q. (In other words, saidlocal-formula-and-item information reflects specific information such asthe particular discounts and cents-off coupon specials that apply at thescheduled time of the transmission of unit Q at the particularsupermarket or markets that are local to the station of FIG. 6.) Saidinformation may be inputted from local input, 74, or over network, 98,and computer, 73, records said information in a predetermined fashion.

Computer program instructions, of the sort well known in the art, arealso inputted to computer, 73, and computer, 73, is caused to executesaid instructions. Executing said instructions causes computer, 73, togenerate information of a program instruction set. (Hereinafter, aninstance of computer program instructions that cause a computer, at anintermediate transmission station, to generate information of a programinstruction set is called an “intermediate generation set.”)

For example, when executed, one particular intermediate generation setthat is inputted to computer, 73, causes computer, 73, in a fashion thatis described more fully below, to generate particular programinstruction set information of the combined medium programming ofprogram unit Q.

Computer, 73, can receive and be caused to execute intermediategeneration set information in any fashion that a computer receives andis caused to execute computer program instructions.

In the case of prerecorded programming, in the preferred embodiment, theinformation of any given intermediate generation set is prerecorded in aprogram unit with the conventional programming—for example, theconventional television or radio programming—into whose transmission isembedded the program instruction set whose generation said givenintermediate set causes. And said intermediate set is prerecorded insaid program unit before the start of said conventional programming. Forexample, in the case of television programming such as the programmingof unit Q, the particular intermediate set that is inputted to computer,73, is located on the recording medium of unit Q within the definedspace of program unit Q immediately following the point at which unit Qstarts and before the point at which the conventional televisioninformation of Q commences. Said intermediate generation set informationis embedded in the so-called “full frame” video on each successive frameuntil complete information of said set information is embedded; that is,embedding of said set information commences at the first line of thenormal transmission location and continues on each successive detectableline of a first frame and, continuing in this fashion, on eachsuccessive frame until all intermediate generation set information isembedded. The conventional television video and audio information ofprogram unit Q are prerecorded in the conventional fashion, commencingat the frame immediately following the last frame in which intermediategeneration set information is embedded.

Any given intermediate generation set contains generally applicableinformation of the particular program instruction set whose generationit causes. Generally applicable information is specific. For example,the generally applicable information of the intermediate generation setof the programming of Q includes binary sound image information of aparticular announcer's voice saying, A “forty-three”, “forty-five”,“forty-six”, “low-salt Vindaloo”, “Mild version Quick”, and “Hot versionQuick”. And any given datum of generally applicable information may bespecific information only of selected subscriber stations. Yet suchinformation is generally applicable at any given transmission stationbecause any given datum may be applicable at any or all of thesubscriber stations of said transmission station.

Said generally applicable information lacks specific information that isrequired to complete the generation of a given instance of a generatedprogram instruction set. (For example, in the case of unit Q, theintermediate generation set lacks information of the particular discountformulas and items offered as cents-off coupon specials that apply atthe scheduled time of the transmission of unit Q at the particularsupermarket or markets that are local to the station of FIG. 6.)

When executed at a computer, 73, that is preprogrammed with particularlocal-formula-and-item information (that is, particular data), theinstructions of a given intermediate generation set (that is, of a givencomputer program) cause said computer, 73, to generate particularformula-and-item-of-this-transmission information and incorporate saidinformation into said generally applicable information of saidparticular program instruction set, thereby generating the particularprogram instruction set instance applicable to a particular transmissionat a particular intermediate transmission station. The set informationso generated may consist of computer program instructions and/or data.

An example #9, that focuses on generating, embedding, and transmittingcombined medium program instruction set programming of unit Q at thestation of FIG. 6 illustrates automating intermediate station combinedmedium operations.

At the aforementioned interval Q time prior to the scheduled playing ofQ, particular preprogrammed preplay-and-generate instructions causecomputer, 73, to commence said program instruction set generation. Saidinstructions cause computer, 73, to cause matrix switch, 75, to switchthe input from recorder, 76, to no output; to cause recorder, 76, toposition the start of unit Q at its play head; to cause decoder, 77, tocommence detecting signals on all video lines from the beginning of thenormal transmission pattern to the end of the last detectable line ofthe full video frame; then to cause recorder, 76, to commence playingwhich causes recorder, 76, to transmit and decoder, 77, to detect aparticular SPAM message. (Hereinafter, said message is called the“generate-set-information message (#9)”.) Said message is addressed toITS computers, 73, and contains a particular execution segment,appropriate meter-monitor information, padding bits as required, aninformation segment whose information is the intermediate generation setof Q, and an end of file signal. (Hereinafter, the intermediategeneration set that causes any given intermediate transmission stationto generate a program instruction set of an instance of the transmissionof the programming of program unit Q is called the “intermediategeneration set of Q”.)

Detecting said message causes decoder, 77, to transmit said message tocomputer, 73, and receiving said message at computer, 73, causesparticular SPAM decoder apparatus of computer, 73, (which apparatus isanalogous to SPAM-controller, 205C, at microcomputer, 205, above and isnot distinguished from computer, 73, hereinafter) to execute particularcontrolled functions. In the fashion of the first message of the “WallStreet Week” example at microcomputer, 205, computer, 73, is caused toload information of said intermediate generation set at particular RAM.Then receiving the end of file signal that ends said message causescomputer, 73, to execute particular additional instructions of saidcontrolled functions. Executing said instructions, causes computer, 73,to cause recorder, 76, to cease playing and position the start of theunit Q conventional television programming at the play head of recorder,76; to cause decoder, 77, to commence detecting information in thenormal transmission location alone; to cause stripper, 81, andgenerator, 82, to prepare to commence stripping and embeddinginformation, respectively, in the normal transmission location; and toexecute the information of said intermediate generation set as acompiled, machine language job.

Executing the information of said set causes computer, 73, to computesaid formula-and-item-of-this-transmission information in thepredetermined fashion of said intermediate generation set according tothe prerecorded data of said local-formula-and-item information; tocompile formula-and-item-of-this-transmission information into a machinelanguage program module; and to link said module to other programmodules of said program instruction set (which modules may includemodules of the aforementioned generally applicable information of saidprogram instruction set and may also include modules preprogrammed atcomputer, 73). (Formula-and-item-of-this-transmission information can beincorporated into more than one module by any given intermediategeneration set.)

Said formula-and-item-of-this-transmission information can consist ofboth computer program instructions and data. For example, one of theaforementioned discounts and cents-off coupon specials is of a 15 centsoff coupon special on an offered product that varies from week to weekand market to market. The information of the particular product that isoffered at the particular time of the scheduled transmission at thestation of FIG. 6 and at the particular supermarkets in the locality ofsaid station is data that exist in the aforementionedlocal-formula-and-item information—eg., “Nabisco Zweiback TeethingToast”. Other data in said local-formula-and-item information includes,for example, the street address of every one of said supermarket chain'smarkets in the locality said station.

Other formula-and-item-of-this-transmission information can be computerprogram instructions. For example, another of the aforementioneddiscounts and cents-off coupon specials is of a particular product—eg.untrimmed pork bellies—that is advertised in the conventional televisionprogramming of unit Q. In the conventional programming, an announcermakes an offer, “Super Discount Supermarkets will deliver to you, atcost, all the pork you need . . . .” In the example, the costs ofdelivery involve transportation from the central warehouse of thesupermarket chain to each local market and transportation from eachmarket to the station of any given subscriber who orders a pork bellypackage. In the example, the cost of delivery for any given subscriberis calculated under control of formulae that are computer programinstructions.

The particulars of the untrimmed pork belly and “Nabisco ZweibackTeething Toast” specials of example #9 illustrate generatingformula-and-item-of-this-transmission information.

The cost of a unit of pork belly product for any given subscriber iscomputed according to a particular formula:Y=a+b+c(X)  (1)

where:

-   -   Y is the delivered cost to said subscriber per unit of pork        belly product,    -   a is the supermarket chain's cost per unit of pork belly onboard        an outbound vehicle at said warehouse,    -   b is the cost of transportation to the market of said        subscriber,    -   c is the cost per mile of transportation that applies to        deliveries from said market, and    -   X is the distance in miles between said market the station of        said subscriber.        Pork belly prices vary from day to day as so-called “spot”        prices change on commodity markets. And transportation costs        vary from time to time and place to place according to        variations in, for example, costs of gasoline and wages of        vehicle drivers. Accordingly, each time the programming of unit        Q is transmitted to subscribers, the values of variables a, b,        and c in equation (1) that are applicable to the particular time        and place of transmission must be computed and processed. For        any given transmission of the television commercial of program        unit Q, the price of an advertised unit of pork bellies (which        price is a) is a datum that is pre-entered into computer, 73,        and recorded in said local-formula-and-item information. And        said values of b and c are computed according to the following        equations (2) and (3) respectively:        b=(p+q+d)Z  (2)

where:

-   -   b is the b of equation (1),    -   p is the cost of gasoline per pork belly unit mile between said        warehouse and said market,    -   q is the wage of the driver per unit mile between said warehouse        and said market,    -   d is the depreciation of the vehicle per unit mile between said        warehouse and said market, and    -   Z is the distance in miles between said warehouse and said        market.        c=r+s+dd  (3)

where:

-   -   c is the c of equation (1),    -   r is the cost of gasoline per unit mile between said market and        the station of said subscriber,    -   s is the wage of the local driver per unit mile between said        market and said station, and    -   dd is the depreciation of the local vehicle per unit mile        between said market and said station.        For any given transmission of the television commercial of        program unit Q, the following variables are also data that are        pre-entered into computer, 73, and recorded in said        local-formula-and-item information: p, q, d, Z, r, s, and dd.

At the aforementioned interval Q time prior to the scheduled playing ofQ, when computer, 73, commences generating said program instruction set,the local-formula-and-item information of computer, 73, includesinformation that:

-   -   a is 1000.00    -   p is 0.00625    -   q is 0.12    -   d is 0.1    -   Z is 275    -   r is 0.007    -   s is 2.00    -   dd is 0.11

The intermediate generation set information of saidgenerate-set-information message (#9) includes program instructions thatcause each addressed ITS computer, 73, to compute values of variables band c according to formulas (2) and (3), given thelocal-formula-and-item information of p, q, d, Z, r, s, and dd, and toincorporate said computed values of b and c into generally applicableprogram instruction set information of equation (1).

Executing the information of said intermediate generation set causescomputer, 73, to generate said program instruction set in the followingfashion. Automatically, computer, 73, selects information of each of theaforementioned variables, a, p, q, d, Z, r, s, and dd; computes thevalue of variable b, under control of intermediate generation setinstructions of equation (2), to be 62.21875; computes the value ofvariable c, under control of intermediate generation set instructions ofequation (3), to be 2.117; and replaces particular variable values, a,b, and c, in a particular so-called “higher language line of programcode” that is among the aforementioned generally applicable informationof said program instruction set and is:Y=a+b+(c*X)[which is equation (1) in the language of the IBM BASIC of the IBMPersonal Computer Hardware Reference Library] with said selectedinformation of a and the so computed information of b and c to becomeformula-and-item-of-this-transmission information of:Y=1000.00+62.21875+(2.117*X)[which is formula-and-item-of-this-transmission information in saidBASIC]. Automatically, computer, 73, selects and computes information ofother variables and replaces other variable values of said generallyapplicable program instruction set information until a complete instanceof higher language code of said program instruction set with allrequired formula-and-item-of-this-transmission information has beengenerated and exists at particular memory. Automatically, computer, 73,compiles the information of said instance and places the resultingso-called “object module” at particular memory (which compiling could bedone, in the case of a program written in IBM BASIC, with the IBM BASICCompiler of the IBM Personal Computer Computer Language Series).Automatically, computer, 73, links the information of said object modulewith information of other compiled object modules that exist in memoryat computer, 73, (and may have been transmitted to computer, 73, in thegenerally applicable program instruction set information if saidintermediate generation set); generates a particular PROGRAM.EXE outputfile that is said program instruction set; and places said file atparticular program-set-to-transmit memory of computer, 73, (whichlinking could be done, in the case of a program compiled by the IBMBASIC Compiler with the linker program of the IBM Disk Operating Systemof the IBM Personal Computer Computer Language Series). One of saidother compiled object modules is a module that, when accessed in afashion well known in the art, computes the shortest vehicle drivingdistance between any two locations in the local vicinity of the stationof FIG. 6 when passed two street addresses of said vicinity.(Hereinafter, the program instruction set generated in example #9, undercontrol of said intermediate generation set of Q, is called the “programinstruction set of Q”.)

Executing the information of said intermediate generation set causescomputer, 73, also to generate a particular associated data module.(Hereinafter, a data module that is transmitted to subscriber stationsand processed by computers of said stations under control ofinstructions of a program instruction set is called a “data module set,”and any given intermediate generation set may cause generation ofinformation of a data module set or sets in addition to or rather thangenerating information of a program instruction set or sets.) In afashion well known in the art, computer, 73, selects, from among thedata in said local-formula-and-item information, information of theaforementioned “Nabisco Zweiback Teething Toast”; information of thestreet address of every one of said supermarket chain's markets in thelocal vicinity of the station of FIG. 6; particularcost-of-a-trimmed-pork-belly-unit information of 1987.25 that is thecost of all the trimmed cuts of meat of a pork belly unit; binary videoimage information of several telephone numbers, including a particularsouthwest delivery route telephone number, “456-1414”, and a particularnorthwest delivery route telephone number, “224-3121”; and informationof the particular local-automatic-order-taking telephone number of thesupermarket chain applicable in the vicinity of the intermediatetransmission station of FIG. 6 which is 1-(800) 247-8700. Automatically,computer, 73, places said selected information (and any otherinformation so selected) in a particular file called DATA_OF.ITS untilthe information of said file constitutes a complete instance of aparticular data module set of Q. (Hereinafter, the data module setgenerated in example #9, under control of said intermediate generationset of Q, is called the “data module set of Q”.)

Subsequently, at the scheduled time of the playing of Q, the station ofFIG. 6 is transmitting via modulator, 83, a television networktransmission that is inputted to matrix switch, 75, from distributionamplifier, 63. At said time, at the particular program originatingstudio that originates said network transmission, a particular SPAMmessage that contains execution and meter-monitor segments and that isaddressed to ITS computers, 73, is embedded in said network transmissionand transmitted. (Hereinafter, said message is called the “first cueingmessage (#9).”)

Transmitting said message causes that decoder of signal processingsystem, 71, that receives the transmission of said distributionamplifier, 63, to detect said message and input said message, withappropriate source mark information, via code reader, 72, to computer,73.

Receiving said message and said mark information causes computer, 73, toso-called “cue” recorder, 76, and generator, 82, and to operate in itsautomatic playing fashion. Receiving said message and mark causescomputer, 73, to cause recorder, 76, to commence playing and to causematrix switch, 75, to configure its switches so as to cease transferringprogramming inputted from distribution amplifier, 63, to modulator, 83,then to commence transferring the output of recorder, 76, to modulator,83, which causes the transmission of unit Q to field distributionsystem, 93. In addition, because the playing schedule of the station ofFIG. 6 includes preprogrammed information that program unit Q iscombined medium programming, receiving said message causes generator,82, to cease embedding other signal information in the normaltransmission location (such as, for example, teletext information wellknown in the art [and in so causing said generator, 82, to ceaseembedding said other information—for, example, said teletext—detectingsaid message at said intermediate station causes subscriber stationsthat are receiving said other information—for, example, said teletext—tocease receiving said other information]) and to transmit information ofa SPAM end of file signal (and in so doing, to cause subscriber stationdecoder apparatus—for example, apparatus at teletext processor units—tocommence detecting and discarding SPAM messages of the combined mediumprogramming of Q).

Causing recorder, 76, to play causes recorder, 76, to transmitprogramming of Q, via matrix switch, 75, and modulator, 83, to fielddistribution system, 93, and also causes recorder, 76, to input theprogramming of Q to decoder, 77.

Immediately after commencing to transmit said programming of Q,recorder, 76, plays and transmits three SPAM messages that are embeddedin the prerecorded programming of Q.

The first message is addressed to URS signal processors, 200, and causessubscriber stations that are tuned to the channel of transmission ofsaid modulator, 83, to combine their microcomputers, 205, to thecomputer system of said transmission, which transmission is originatedby said recorder, 76. (Said message and the functioning that saidmessage causes are described more fully below, and hereinafter, saidmessage is called the “align-URS-microcomputers-205 message (#9)”.)

The second message is embedded in the prerecorded programming of Q at adistance after said first message that is sufficient to allow time forapparatus at each of said subscriber stations so to combine. Theexecution segment of said second message is of the aforementioned pseudocommand, and transmitting said message causes decoder apparatus at saidsubscriber stations each to detect an end of file signal and to commenceidentifying and processing the individual SPAM messages of the SPAMinformation subsequently embedded in the transmission of the programmingof Q. (Said message and the functioning that said message causes aredescribed more fully below, and hereinafter, said message is called the“synch-SPAM-reception message (#9)”.) Thereafter, embedding andtransmitting any given SPAM message in said transmission invokes acontrolled function or functions at particular ones of said decoderapparatus.

The third message invokes broadcast control of the microcomputers, 205,of said stations in the invoking broadcast control fashion describedabove in “One Combined Medium.” Said third message is embedded in saidprerecorded programming of Q immediately after said second message andis addressed to URS decoders, 203. (Said message is described more fullybelow, and hereinafter, said message is called, the “control-invokingmessage (#9)”.) Said message causes each decoder, 203, to input controlinvoking instructions (that are preprogrammed at said decoder, 203) toits associated microcomputer, 205. In so doing, transmitting saidcontrol-invoking message (#9) causes the microcomputers, 205, of saidsubscriber stations to come under control of the computer system of saidrecorder, 77.

Causing recorder, 76, to play unit Q causes the decoder, 77, of thestation of FIG. 6 then to detect a series of SPAM messages that areembedded in the programming of Q and are addressed to ITS computers, 73.Detecting said messages causes decoder, 77, to transfer said messages tocomputer, 73. (Decoder, 80, can detect and transfer said messages tocomputer, 73, but in respect to any given embedded signal in aprogramming transmission, computer, 73, is preprogrammed to operateunder the control of just one decoder; decoder, 77 or 79, is the defaultdecoder for transmissions from recorder, 76 or 78 respectively, andsignal processor, 71, contains the default decoder of any giventransmission received at a receiver; and computer, 73, is preprogrammedto operate under the control of signals from decoder, 80, only forverifying the transmission of signals unless its methods of processingsignals from decoder, 80, are changed in a predetermined fashion.)

The first message of said series contains execution and meter-monitorsegments. (Said first message is called, hereinafter, the“transmit-data-module-set message (#9)”.)

Receiving said transmit-data-module-set message (#9) causes computer,73, to generate a particular first outbound SPAM message that includesinformation of the aforementioned data file, DATA_OF.ITS, whoseinformation constitutes a complete instance of a data module set of Qand to cause said message to be embedded in the transmission of theprogramming of Q and transmitted to field distribution system, 93, inthe following fashion. (Hereinafter, said first outbound SPAM message iscalled the “data-module-set message (#9).”) Automatically, computer, 73,causes stripper, 81, to commence stripping all signals from the normaltransmission location; causes generator, 82, to commence embeddinginformation received from computer, 73; selects the information of saidmeter-monitor segment, adds particular information that identifies thestation of FIG. 6 and the time of transmission, modifies themeter-monitor format field information to reflect said addedinformation, and retains the received, added, and modified meter-monitorinformation; and selects and transmits to generator, 82, completeinformation of said data-module-set message (#9). In selecting andtransmitting said complete information, computer, 73, automaticallyselects and transmits information of a “01” header; information of aparticular SPAM execution segment that is addressed to URSmicrocomputers, 205; said retained meter-monitor information; anyrequired padding bits (the requirement for and number which computer,73, determines in a predetermined fashion); complete information of saiddata file, DATA_OF.ITS; and information of a SPAM end of file signal.

(The apparatus of the station of FIG. 6 may be preprogrammed in such afashion that computer, 73, causes generator, 82, to cease embedding inthe normal transmission location other signal information such asteletext information then to transmit an end of file signal each timecomputer, 73, causes generator, 82, to embed a SPAM message of theprogramming of Q then to recommence transmitting other signalinformation such as teletext automatically upon embedding said lastnamed message by transmitting an “01” header; execution segmentinformation addressed to appropriate URS receiver apparatus such as URSteletext receiver apparatus; appropriate meter-monitor information;padding bits as required; and information segment information of saidother signal information such as teletext. [No end of file signal istransmitted until generator, 82, is caused to cease the transmission ofsaid other signal information.])

Receiving the information of said data-module-set message (#9) causesgenerator, 82, to embed said information in the normal transmissionlocation of the programming of Q transmission being transmitted viagenerator, 82, to field distribution system, 93, thereby transmittingsaid data-module-set message (#9) to said system, 93.

In due course, decoder, 77, detects the second SPAM message in theaforementioned series of SPAM messages that are addressed to ITScomputers, 73, and transfers said message to computer, 73.

Said second message contains execution and meter-monitor segments (andis called, hereinafter, the“transmit-and-execute-program-instruction-set message (#9).”)

Receiving said transmit-and-execute-program-instruction-set message (#9)causes computer, 73, to generate a second outbound SPAM message thatincludes information of said program instruction set of Q and to causesaid message to be embedded in the transmission of the programming of Qand transmitted to field distribution system, 93, in the followingfashion. (Hereinafter, said second outbound SPAM message is called the“program-instruction-set message (#9).”) Automatically, computer, 73,selects the information of said meter-monitor segment, adds particularinformation that identifies the station of FIG. 6 and the time oftransmission, modifies the meter-monitor format field information toreflect said added information, and retains the received, added, andmodified meter-monitor information. Then, automatically, computer, 73,selects and transmits to generator, 82, information of a “01” header;information of a particular SPAM execution segment that is addressed toURS microcomputers, 205; said retained meter-monitor information; anyrequired padding bits; complete information of the aforementioned filethat is at the aforementioned program-set-to-transmit memory ofcomputer, 73, and that is said program instruction set of Q; andinformation of a SPAM end of file signal. Said selected and transmittedinformation is complete information of said program-instruction-setmessage (#9).

Receiving said information causes generator, 82, to embed saidinformation in the normal transmission location of the programming of Qtransmission being transmitted via generator, 82, to field distributionsystem, 93, thereby transmitting said program-instruction-set message(#9) to said system, 93.

Then decoder, 77, detects the third SPAM message in the aforementionedseries of SPAM messages that are addressed to ITS computers, 73, andtransfers said message to computer, 73.

Said third message contains an execution segment and is addressed to ITScomputers, 73. (Said third message is called, hereinafter, the“cease-stripping-and-embedding message (#9)”.)

Receiving said message causes computer, 73, to cause stripper, 81, tocease stripping signal information from the normal transmission locationand to cause generator, 82, to cease embedding signal information in thenormal transmission location.

Subsequently, as recorder, 76, plays and transmits the programming of Q,via modulator, 83, to field distribution system, 93, recorder, 76,transmits eight SPAM messages that are embedded in the prerecordedprogramming of Q. (Hereinafter, said messages are called [in the orderin which said messages are transmitted], the “1st commence-outputtingmessage (#9)”, the “2nd commence-outputting message (#9)”, the “3rdcommence-outputting message (#9)”, the “1st cease-outputting message(#9)”, the “4th commence-outputting message (#9)”, the “5thcommence-outputting message (#9)”, the “6th commence-outputting message(#9)”, and the “2nd cease-outputting message (#9)”.) Each of said eightSPAM messages contains execution segment information addressed to URSmicrocomputers, 205, (which causes decoder, 77, to discard theinformation of said messages). Said messages are discussed more fullybelow.

At the scheduled end time of the playing of program unit Q, anotherparticular SPAM message that contains an execution segment and that isaddressed to ITS computers, 73, is embedded at said program originatingstudio and transmitted in said network transmission. (Hereinafter, saidmessage is called the “second cueing message (#9).”)

Transmitting said message causes said decoder of signal processingsystem, 71, to detect said message and input said message, withappropriate source mark information, to computer, 73.

Receiving said message and said mark information causes computer, 73, toso-called “cue” said network transmission and continue in its automaticplaying fashion. Automatically, computer, 73, causes matrix switch, 75,to configure its switches to cease transferring the output of recorder,76, to modulator, 83, and commence transferring the transmissioninputted from distribution amplifier, 63, to modulator, 83, which causesthe transmission said network transmission to field distribution system,93. Automatically, computer, 73, may cause generator, 82, to embed aparticular message (that is described more fully below and called,hereinafter, the “disband-URS-microcomputers-205 message (#9)”) thatcauses subscriber stations whose microcomputers, 205, are combined tothe computer system of the transmission of recorder, 76, to separatesaid microcomputers, 205, from said transmission. Automatically,according to the play schedule of the station of FIG. 6, computer, 73,may cause generator, 82, to commence embedding other signal informationin the normal transmission location (such as, for example, teletextinformation [and in so causing said generator, 82, to commence embeddingsaid other information—for, example, said teletext—detecting saidmessage at said intermediate station causes subscriber stations that arereceiving said other information—for, example, said teletext—to commencereceiving said other information]), by transmitting an “01” header thenexecution segment information addressed to receiver apparatus of saidother information then appropriate meter-monitor information then saidother information. And automatically, computer, 73, causes recorder, 76,to cease playing and to commence preparing to play its next scheduledlocal origination program unit.

(Example #9 ends, insofar as intermediate station operations areconcerned, with computer, 73, commencing to prepare to play said nextprogram unit; however, the effects of so transmitting unit Q and saiddata-module-set message (#9), said program-instruction-set message (#9),said 1st commence-outputting message (#9), said 1st cease-outputtingmessage (#9), said 2nd commence-outputting message (#9), said 3rdcommence-outputting message (#9), and said 2nd cease-outputting message(#9) are described more fully below.)

Network Control of Intermediate Generating and Embedding . . . Example#10

In the present invention, a remote network origination and controlstation, such as the aforementioned program originating studio thatoriginates the transmission of the “Wall Street Week” program, cancontrol a plurality of intermediate transmission stations in generatingand embedding combined medium control instructions—that is, programinstruction sets, data module sets, and combining synch commands—thatcontrol generating and transmitting at pluralities of ultimate receiverstations.

An example #10, focuses on combined medium network control ofintermediate transmission stations, controlling ultimate receiverstations.

In example #10, a particular program originating studio transmits thecommercial of program unit Q in a network transmission and controls aplurality of intermediate transmission stations each of which controls,in turn, a plurality of subscriber stations that are ultimate receiverstations.

The station of FIG. 6 is one intermediate transmission stationcontrolled by said studio. The station of FIG. 6 receives said networktransmission at receiver, 53, and retransmits said transmissionimmediately via modulator, 83.

The program unit Q of example #10 is identical to the program unit Q ofexample #9, and each intermediate transmission station must generatetransmit its own, station specific program instruction set and datamodule set information that contains its own, station specificformula-and-item-of-this-transmission information.

Prior to a particular early time, complete local-formula-and-iteminformation is inputted to and caused to be recorded at the computer,73, of each controlled intermediate transmission station in such a waythat each computer, 73, contains complete information relevant to theparticular discounts and specials in effect at the particular markets inthe vicinity of said station and at the particular time of the networktransmission of Q. Thus each computer, 73, contains the specific valuesof a, p, q, d, Z, r, s, and dd of its specific station; the specificstreet address of every one of said supermarket chain's markets in thelocality of said station; and other specific data of said station suchas, for example, “Nabisco Zweiback Teething Toast”.

Local-formula-and-item information can be inputted to said computers,73, in any fashion that said computers, 73, can receive information.However, in the preferred embodiment, information that applies at allnetwork stations at the time of any given transmission of a givenprogram unit—for example, the undelivered per unit cost of pork bellies:a—is transmitted to all stations simultaneously in a SPAM message thatcauses each station to select and record properly said information. Andinformation that applies only at a selected one of said stations—forexample, the street address of every one of said supermarket chain'smarkets in the locality of a given station—is inputted individually tothe computers, 73, of said stations by means of, for example, a localinput, 74, or a network, 98.

At the computer, 73, of the station of FIG. 6, thelocal-formula-and-item information in example #10 is identical to thelocal-formula-and-item information in example #9. For example, saidlocal-formula-and-item information in example #10 includes:

-   -   a is 1000.00    -   p is 0.00625    -   q is 0.12    -   d is 0.1    -   Z is 275    -   r is 0.007    -   s is 2.00    -   dd is 0.11

(At a particular second intermediate transmission station, thelocal-formula-and-item information of the computer, 73, include thespecific values: a is 1000.00, p is 0.00625, q is 0.13, d is 0.11, Z is537, r is 0.0082, s is 1.98, and dd is 0.10. Said local-formula-and-iteminformation also includes the specific street address of one of saidsupermarket chain's markets in the locality of said station, particularcost-of-a-trimmed-pork-belly-unit information of 2021.42 that is thecost of the trimmed meat of one pork belly unit; binary video imageinformation of several telephone numbers, including a particularsoutheast delivery route telephone number, “623-3000”; information ofthe particular local-automatic-order-taking telephone number of thesupermarket chain applicable in the vicinity of said second intermediatestation which is 1-(800) 371-2100; and specific data of “CheeriosToasted Oat Cereal” instead of “Nabisco Zweiback Teething Toast.”

At said early time (which time is, in the preferred embodiment, a timeof reduced operational requirement such as, for example, the middle ofthe night that precedes said network transmission of Q), the computers,73, of said controlled intermediate transmission stations are caused toreceive information of a particular transmission. For example, at 3:00AM on said night, automatic schedule information and instructions(previously inputted by a computer at said network originating andcontrol station, via network, 98, individually to each of saidcomputers, 73) causes said computers, 73, to cause their associatedearth station receivers, 50, amplifiers, 51, and TV receivers, 53, totune to a particular satellite transmission (while causing the switches,75, to output information of said transmission to no modulator, 83, 87,or 91). Causing said station apparatus to tune to said transmissioncauses those particular dedicated decoders of the signal processorsystems, 71, of said stations that process continuously the inputtedtransmission of the distribution amplifiers, 63, to detect SPAMinformation embedded in the normal transmission location of saidtransmission and input said SPAM information to the computers, 73, ofsaid stations.

Then the program originating studio at said network originating andcontrol station, embeds in said normal transmission location andtransmits a SPAM message that is addressed to ITS computers, 73, andconsists of a “01” header, a particular execution segment, appropriatemeter-monitor information, padding bits as required, information segmentinformation of the aforementioned intermediate generation set of Q, andan end of file signal. (Hereinafter, said message is called the“generate-set-information message (#10)”.) Except for its meter-monitorinformation, said generate-set-information message (#10) is identical tothe aforementioned generate-set-information message (#9).

Transmitting said generate-set-information message (#10) causes saiddedicated decoders to detect and input said message to the computers,73, of said stations.

Receiving said message at said computers, 73, causes each of saidcomputers, 73, to load information of said intermediate generation setat particular RAM. Then receiving the end of file signal that ends saidmessage causes each of said computers, 73, to execute the information soloaded as a machine language job; to compute the specificformula-and-item-of-this-transmission-information of said computer, 73,in the predetermined fashion of said intermediate generation setaccording to the prerecorded data of the local-formula-and-iteminformation of said computer, 73; to compile said specificformula-and-item-of-this-transmission information into one or morespecific machine language program modules; and to link said specificmodule or modules to other program modules to become complete programinstruction set information of this instance of the network transmissionof Q; and to record said information at particular memory. (Hereinafter,the program instruction set generated at the station of FIG. 6 inexample #10 is called the “program instruction set of Q.1”, signifyingthat said set is one version of complete program instruction setinformation of said instance of the network transmission of Q.)Executing the information of said intermediate generation set alsocauses each said computers, 73, to generate and record completeinformation of a data module set. (Hereinafter, the data module setgenerated at the station of FIG. 6 in example #10 is called the “datamodule set of Q.1”, signifying that said set is one version of completedata module set information of said instance of the network transmissionof Q.) In the preferred embodiment, executing said intermediategeneration set at said early time causes said computers, 73, to recordsaid program instruction set of Q and said data module set of Qinformation at non-volatile, disk memory.

At the station of FIG. 6, for example, executing the information of saidintermediate generation set causes the computer, 73, in precisely thefashion that applied in example #9, to compute the value of a particularvariable b to be 62.21875; to computes the value of a particularvariable c to be 2.117; and to replaces particular variable values, a,b, and c, in a particular so-called “higher language line of programcode” to become formula-and-item-of-this-transmission information of:Y=1000.00+62.21875+(2.117*X)to select, compute, and replace other variable information untilcomplete program instruction set information exists in higher languagecode at particular memory; to compile said higher language information;to link the information so complied with other compiled information; andto record the information so computed, compiled, and linked (which iscomplete information the program instruction set of Q of the station ofFIG. 6) in a file named “PROGRAM.EXE”, in a fashion well known in theart, on a computer memory disk of computer, 73. In so doing, saidcomputer, 73, generates the specific program instruction setversion—that is, the program instruction set of Q.1—that applies to theparticular discounts and specials in effect at the particular markets inthe vicinity of said station and at the particular time of the networktransmission of Q. In precisely the fashion that applied in example #9,executing the information of said intermediate generation set causessaid computer, 73, to select data, from among the local-formula-and-iteminformation of said station, including the aforementioned “NabiscoZweiback Teething Toast” and the street address of every one of saidsupermarket chain's markets in the local vicinity of the station of FIG.6, and to record said selected data on said memory disk in a data filenamed DATA_OF.ITS. In so doing, said computer, 73, generates said datamodule set of Q.1.

(At said second intermediate transmission station, executing theinformation of said intermediate generation set causes the computer, 73,of said station to compute the values of variables b and c as 132.2362and 2.0882 respectively; to replace variable values, a, b, and c, withformula-and-item-of-this-transmission information of:Y=1000.00+132.2362+(2.0882*X)to process other variable information; and to compile, link, and recordinformation at a particular peripheral memory unit of said computer, 73,in a file named “PROGRAM.EXE” that is the specific program instructionset of said second intermediate station. [Hereinafter, the programinstruction set generated at said second station is called the “programinstruction set of Q.2”, signifying that said set is a second version ofcomplete program instruction set information of said instance of thenetwork transmission of Q.] Executing the information of saidintermediate generation set causes said computer, 73, also to selectparticular data, including said “Cheerios Toasted Oat Cereal” and thestreet address of every one of said supermarket chain's markets in thelocality of said second intermediate station and to record said selecteddata at said memory unit in a data file named DATA_OF.ITS thatcorresponds in content to the file of the same name generated a theintermediate station of FIG. 6. [Hereinafter, the data module setgenerated at said second station is called the “data module set of Q.2”,signifying that said set is a second version of complete data module setinformation of said instance of the network transmission of Q.])

(One difference between example #9 and example #10, which is based onthe preprogrammed schedule information of each intermediate transmissionstation, is that executing the information of thegenerate-set-information message (#10) causes the generated programinstruction set and data module set information to be recorded atnon-volatile, disk memory whereas in example #10 the generatedinformation may be recorded merely at RAM.)

Shortly before commencing to transmit the television programming of unitQ, at a time when all controlled intermediate transmission stations arereceiving and retransmitting said network transmission (which thestation of FIG. 6 and said second station each receives at a receiver,53, and transmits via a modulator, 83), said program originating studioembeds in the normal transmission location of said transmission andtransmits a second SPAM message. Said second message is addressed to ITScomputers, 73, and consists of a “01” header, a particular executionsegment, appropriate meter-monitor information, padding bits asrequired, particular information segment instruction information, and anend of file signal. (Hereinafter, said message is called the“load-set-information message (#10)”.)

Transmitting said message causes the decoders of the signal processingsystems, 71, of said stations that receive programming transmissionsfrom the distribution amplifiers, 63, to detect and input said messageto the computers, 73, of said stations.

Receiving said message causes each of said computers, 73, to load saidinformation segment instruction information at particular RAM. Thenreceiving said end of file signal causes each of said computers, 73, toexecute the instruction information of so loaded as an compiled, machinelanguage job.

Executing said instruction information causes said computers, 73, eachto load the information of said files, PROGRAM.EXE and DATA_OF.ITS, atparticular program-set-to-transmit and data-set-to-transmit RAM memoriesof computer, 73, and each to cause a generator, 82, to cease embeddingany other signal information in the normal transmission location and totransmit information of a SPAM end of file signal. (Said other signalinformation may include, for example, teletext information, and in socausing said generators, 82, to cease embedding said otherinformation—for example, said teletext—transmitting said message causespluralities of ultimate receiver stations that are subscriber stationsof said intermediate transmission stations to cease receiving said otherinformation—for example, said teletext.)

Then said program originating studio starts to transmit the conventionaltelevision programming of unit Q.

Immediately after commencing to transmit said programming of Q, saidstudio embeds in the normal transmission location of the transmission ofsaid programming and transmits a particular SPAM message is addressed toURS signal processors, 200, and that causes ultimate receiver stationsto combine their microcomputers, 205, to the computer system of thetransmission of said program originating studio. (Said message and thefunctioning that said message causes are described more fully below, andhereinafter, said message is called the “align-URS-microcomputers-205message (#10)”.)

After an interval that is sufficient to allow apparatus at each ultimatereceiver station so to combine, said studio embeds in said transmissionand transmits a particular SPAM message whose execution segment is ofthe aforementioned pseudo command. Transmitting said message causesparticular decoder apparatus at said ultimate receiver stations todetect an end of file signal and to commence identifying and processingthe individual SPAM messages of the SPAM information subsequentlyembedded in the transmission of the programming of Q. (Said message andthe functioning that said message causes are described more fully below,and hereinafter, said message is called the “synch-SPAM-receptionmessage (#10)”.) Thereafter, embedding and transmitting any given SPAMmessage in said transmission invokes a controlled function or functionsat particular ones of said decoder apparatus.

Then said studio invokes broadcast control of the microcomputers, 205,of said stations. Said studio embeds in said transmission and transmitsa particular SPAM message that is addressed to URS decoders, 203. (Saidmessage is described more fully below, and hereinafter, said message iscalled, the “control-invoking message (#10)”.) Said message causes eachdecoder, 203, to input the aforementioned control invoking instructions(that are preprogrammed at said decoder, 203) to its associatedmicrocomputer, 205. In so doing, transmitting said control-invokingmessage (#10) causes said microcomputers, 205, to come under control ofthe computer system of the transmission of said studio.

Then said studio embeds in said transmission and transmits a SPAMmessage is addressed to ITS computers, 73, and that contains executionand meter-monitor segments. (Said message is called, hereinafter, the“transmit-data-module-set message (#10)”.) Receiving saidtransmit-data-module-set message (#10) causes each of said computers,73, to cause stripping and embedding to commence; to generate aparticular first outbound SPAM message that includes information of thedata file, DATA_OF.ITS, at its data-set-to-transmit RAM memory; and tocause said message to be transmitted to its field distribution system,93. (Hereinafter, the first outbound SPAM message of any given one ofsaid computers, 73, is called a “data-module-set message (#10)” and allof said first messages are the “data-module-set messages (#10)”.) At thestation of FIG. 6, the computer, 73, automatically causes stripper, 81,station to commence stripping all signals from the normal transmissionlocation; causes generator, 82, to commence embedding informationreceived from said computers, 73; selects the information of themeter-monitor segment of said transmit-data-module-set message (#10);adds particular information that identifies the station of FIG. 6 andthe time of transmission; modifies the meter-monitor format fieldinformation to reflect said added information; and retains the received,added, and modified meter-monitor information. Then said computer, 73,selects and transmits to generator, 82, complete information of itsdata-module-set message (#10) in the following fashion. Automatically,said computer, 73, selects and transmits information of a “01” header;information of a particular SPAM execution segment that is addressed toURS microcomputers, 205; said retained meter-monitor information; anyrequired padding bits (the requirement for and number which saidcomputer, 73, determines in a predetermined fashion); completeinformation of the data file at the data-set-to-transmit RAM memory ofsaid computer, 73, which is said file, DATA_OF.ITS and which is completeinformation of said data module set of Q.1; and information of a SPAMend of file signal. (Receiving said message at said second intermediatestation causes the apparatus of said station, in the same fashion, togenerate and transmit the data-module-set message (#10) of said stationwhich includes meter-monitor information that identifies said secondstation and said data module set of Q.2.)

Receiving the information of the particular data-module-set message(#10) of the computer, 73, of its station causes each generator, 82, toembed said information in the normal transmission location of theprogramming of Q transmission being transmitted via said generator, 82,to the field distribution system, 93, of said station, therebytransmitting the particular data-module-set message (#10) of saidstation to said system, 93.

Then said program originating studio embeds in the normal transmissionlocation of said transmission and transmits a SPAM message that isaddressed to ITS computers, 73, and that contains execution andmeter-monitor segments. (Said message is called, hereinafter, the“transmit-and-execute-program-instruction-set message (#10)”.)

Receiving said message causes each of said computers, 73, to generate asecond outbound SPAM message that includes information of the programinstruction set at its program-set-to-transmit RAM memory and to causesaid message to be transmitted to its field distribution system, 93.(Hereinafter, the second outbound SPAM message of any given one of saidSPAM computers, 73, is called a “program-instruction-set message (#10)”,and all of said second messages are the “program-instruction-setmessages (#10).”) Automatically, each of said computers, 73, selects theinformation of said meter-monitor segment, adds particular informationthat identifies its station and the time of transmission, modifies themeter-monitor format field information to reflect said addedinformation, and retains the received, added, and modified meter-monitorinformation. Then, automatically, each of said computers, 73, selectsand transmits to the generator, 82, of its station, information of a“01” header; information of a particular SPAM execution segment that isaddressed to URS microcomputers, 205; its retained meter-monitorinformation; any required padding bits; complete information of theprogram instruction set that is at its program-set-to transmit RAMmemory; and information of a SPAM end of file signal. Said selected andtransmitted information that each of said computers, 73, transmits iscomplete information of the particular program-instruction-set message(#10) of said computer, 73. (Receiving said message causes the apparatusof the intermediate station of FIG. 6 to transmit the programinstruction set of Q.1 in the program-instruction-set message (#10) ofsaid station and causes the apparatus of said second intermediatestation to transmit the program instruction set of Q.2 in theprogram-instruction-set message (#10) of said second station.)

Receiving the information of the particular program-instruction-setmessage (#10) of the computer, 73, of its station causes a generator,82, to embed said information in the normal transmission location of theprogramming of Q transmission being transmitted via said generator, 82,to the field distribution system, 93, of said station, therebytransmitting the particular program-instruction-set message (#10) ofsaid station to said system, 93.

(After transmitting the aforementioned transmit-data-module-set message(#10) and before transmitting a particular commence-outputting message(#10) that is discussed more fully below, said program originatingstudio embeds and transmits other SPAM messages that are addressed toURS microcomputers, 205. Said other messages correspond in function tothe data-module-set messages (#10) and program-instruction-set messages(#10) of the intermediate transmission stations of example #10 but saidother messages are transmitted to and control microcomputers, 205, atparticular direct-receiving ultimate receiver stations that receive thetransmission of said studio directly rather than via a retransmission ofone of said intermediate transmission stations. Information of saidother messages is received at the aforementioned decoders of the signalprocessing systems, 71, of said stations that process the transmissionof said studio, but said decoders discard said SPAM messages becausesaid decoders are preprogrammed only to transmit or execute controlledfunctions of SPAM messages that are addressed to intermediatetransmission station apparatus. And said other SPAM messages do notreach the ultimate receiver stations to which said intermediatetransmission stations transmit said data-module-set messages (#10) andprogram-instruction-set messages (#10) because said other SPAM messagesare stripped from the transmissions of said stations by the strippers,81, of said stations.)

Then said program originating studio embeds in the normal transmissionlocation of said network transmission and transmits a SPAM message thatis addressed to ITS computers, 73, and that contains an executionsegment. (Said message is called, hereinafter, the“cease-stripping-and-embedding message (#10)”.)

Receiving said message causes each of said computers, 73, to cause thestripper, 81, of its station to cease stripping signal information fromthe normal transmission location and causes each of said computers, 73,to cause the generator, 82, to cease embedding signal informationgenerated under control of said intermediate generation set in thenormal transmission location.

Subsequently, said program originating studio embeds in the normaltransmission location of said network transmission and transmits afurther series of messages that are addressed to URS microcomputers,205, and that are described more fully below. (Hereinafter, saidmessages are called [in the order in which said messages are transmittedat said studio]: the “1st commence-outputting message (#10)”, the “2ndcommence-outputting message (#10)”, the “3rd commence-outputting message(#10)”, the “1st cease-outputting message (#10)”, the “4thcommence-outputting message (#10)”, the “5th commence-outputting message(#10)”, the “6th commence-outputting message (#10)”, and the “2ndcease-outputting message (#10)”.)

After transmitting the last conventional programming of Q, said studioembeds and transmits a particular message (that is described more fullybelow and called, hereinafter, the “disband-URS-microcomputers-205message (#10)”) that causes subscriber stations whose microcomputers,205, are combined to the computer system of the transmission of saidstudio to separate said microcomputers, 205, from said transmission.

Then said studio embeds and transmits a particular SPAM message thatcontains an execution segment and that is addressed to ITS computers,73. (Hereinafter, said message is called the “local-output-cueingmessage (#10).”)

Receiving said message and said mark information causes intermediatetransmission stations to continue transmitting locally originatedprogramming in their scheduled fashions. At the station of FIG. 6, thededicated decoder of signal processor system, 71, that processes theinputted transmission of distribution amplifier, 63, detects saidmessage and inputs said message, with appropriate source markinformation, to computer, 73. Automatically, receiving said message maycause computer, 73, to cause generator, 82, to commence embedding othersignal information in the normal transmission location, such as, forexample, teletext information. Automatically, generator, 82, embeds a“01” header; execution segment information addressed to appropriate URSreceiver apparatus such as URS teletext receiver apparatus; appropriatemeter-monitor information; padding bits as required; and informationsegment information of said other signal information—for example,teletext. (No end of file signal is transmitted until generator, 82, iscaused to cease the transmission of said other signal information.) Inso doing, transmitting said local-output-cueing message (#10) causes oneor more ultimate receiver stations that are subscriber stations of saidintermediate transmission station of FIG. 6 to commence receiving saidother information—for example, said teletext. Simultaneously, otherintermediate stations such as said second station commence embeddingtheir specific other signal information—for example, their own specificteletext information which has different information content from theinformation of the station of FIG. 6—causing subscriber stations of saidother intermediate stations that are tuned to receive said otherinformation to commence receiving said other information.

(Example #10 ends, insofar as intermediate station operations areconcerned, with said computers, 73, causing their associated generators,82, to commence embedding said other signal information; however, theeffects of so transmitting the conventional programming of program unitQ and the SPAM messages that are associated with the networktransmission of said programming and that are addressed to URS apparatusare discussed more fully below.)

So far this disclosure has described an intermediate transmissionstation transmitting conventional television programming. The stationcould process and transmit radio programming in the same fashions byadding radio transmission and audio recorder/player means, each withassociated radio decoder means as shown in FIG. 2B, wherever televisionmeans are shown in FIG. 6, all with similar control means to that shownin FIG. 6 and by processing radio programming with appropriatelyembedded signals according to the same processing and transmittingmethods described above. Likewise, the station could transmit broadcastprint and data communications programming by adding appropriatetransmission and recorder/player means and decoder/detector means withcontrol means and using the same processing and transmitting methods.This example has described methods at a multi-channel intermediatetransmission station; the methods are also applicable in a station thattransmits only a single channel of television, radio, broadcast print ordata. In addition, intermediate transmission station can be encryptedand decrypted and monitored in the fashions described above.Intermediate transmission station apparatus can include signalprocessing regulating system apparatus such as the apparatus of FIG. 4by means of which encrypted transmissions that are transmitted tointermediate stations are caused to be decrypted and metered.Intermediate transmission station apparatus can include encryptorapparatus that encrypt programming transmissions selectively. Andintermediate transmission station apparatus can include signalprocessing monitoring system apparatus in the spirit of the apparatus ofFIG. 5 whereby the availability, use, and usage of programming atselected intermediate station apparatus is recorded and records aretransmitted to remote stations that process such records.

Automating Ultimate Receiver Stations

Ultimate receiver stations are stations where programming is displayed(or otherwise outputted) to one or more subscribers, thereby enablingsaid subscriber or subscribers to view (or otherwise perceive) theinformation content of the programming. The programming so displayed (oroutputted) may be any form of electronically transmitted programming,including television, radio, print, data, and combined mediumprogramming and may be received via any electronic transmission meansincluding wireless and cable means. The programming so displayed (oroutputted) may also include computer and/or combined medium programmingthat is locally generated under control of SPAM message information.

The signal processing apparatus outlined in FIGS. 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D,and their variants as appropriate, can be used to automate theoperations of ultimate receiver stations in varieties of ways.

FIG. 7 exemplifies one embodiment of an ultimate receiver station; is asubscriber station in the field distribution system, 93, of theintermediate transmission station of FIG. 6; and may be a home, anoffice, a theater, a hotel, or any other station where programming suchas television or radio is displayed to persons.

(NOTE: “Automating Ultimate Receiver Stations” focuses on controllingsubscriber station apparatus in functions that do not necessarilyinvolve generating or combining programming. Accordingly, whereas SPAMmessage transmission means have been depicted in FIGS. 1 through 6 bysolid lines that depict programming transmission [said lines are oftenmarked “SIGNALS ONLY” meaning SPAM information only], in FIG. 7 et seq.the means for transmitting SPAM messages that have been detected in andseparated from programming transmissions are depicted by dashed linesthat depict control information transmissions.)

FIG. 7 shows a variety of input apparatus with capacity for inputtingprogramming (including SPAM information) selectively, via matrix switch,258, to other apparatus of the subscriber station of FIG. 7;intermediate apparatus with capacity for processing and/or recordinginputted programming selectively; output apparatus for displaying orotherwise outputting programming selectively to human senses; othercontrolled apparatus; and other meter apparatus.

Input apparatus include satellite earth station, 250, satellite receivercircuitry, 251, converter boxes, 201 and 222 (by means of which thestation of FIG. 6 receives the multiplexed multi-channel cabletransmission of the cable head end station of FIG. 6), antennas, 298 and299, and other input apparatus, 252 (which may be, for example, a laserdisc player or a record player); and the subscriber station of FIG. 4has capacity for receiving wireless programming transmissions (forexample, at a satellite earth station, 250, and satellite receivercircuitry, 251), a multi-channel cable transmission (for example, atconverter boxes, 201 and 222), and locally transmitted input (forexample, at other input apparatus, 252). Said input apparatus inputtheir received information to matrix switch, 258, which is aconventional matrix switch, well known in the art.

Intermediate apparatus include microcomputer, 205, televisionrecorder/player, 217, audio recorder/player, 255, computer memory unit,256 (which may be, for example, a so-called “fixed disk”), decryptor,224, decryptor, 231, signal stripper, 229, signal generator, 230, andother intermediate apparatus, 257, which could be, for example, otherreceiver/amplifier apparatus. In addition, the TV tuner apparatus of TVset, 202—that is, TV tuner, 215—(which is not distinguished from the TVmonitor, 202M, apparatus of said set, 202, in FIG. 7), and thetuner/amplifier apparatus of radio, 209—that is, radio tuner &amplifier, 213—(which is not distinguished from radio, 209, in FIG. 7),are also intermediate apparatus. All said intermediate apparatus receivetheir programming inputs from and transmit their programming outputs tomatrix switch, 258.

Output apparatus that display or otherwise output programmingselectively to human senses include, for example, TV monitor apparatusof TV set, 202, printer, 221, speaker system, 263, and one or more otheroutput systems, 261 (which could be, for example, electronicallyactuated apparatus that emit odors). All said output apparatus receivetheir programming inputs from matrix switch, 258. (The monitor apparatusof TV set, 202, and the amplifier and speaker apparatus of radio, 209,have capacity for receiving a programming input that is separate fromthe inputs to the intermediate apparatus of said TV set, 202, and radio,209, respectively.)

Other controlled apparatus include electronically actuated windowopening and closing means, 208, furnace, 206, air conditioning system,207, and other controlled apparatus, 260, which could be, for example,an electronically actuated automatic lawn watering system, all of whichare well known in the art. Said other apparatus do not outputprogramming and receive no input of programming.

Other meter apparatus include an electronically actuated utilitiesmeter, 262, of which many models exist in the prior art for meteringflows of electricity, gas, water, etc. Said meter, 262, does not outputprogramming and receive no input of programming.

One or more appropriate SPAM decoders exist at each apparatus thatreceives and is controlled by SPAM message information. Appropriate SPAMdecoders exist at microcomputer, 205, (which can be controlled in thefashions described above) at recorder/players, 217 and 255, (whichrecorder/players can be caused to operate in fashions similar to therecorder/players of the intermediate transmission station of FIG. 6) atradio, 209, and TV set, 202, (which radio and TV set can be actuated,tuned, and controlled in other functions) and at computer memory unit,256, other intermediate apparatus, 257, printer, 221, speaker system,263, and other output means, 261, (which unit, apparatus, printer,system, and means can be actuated individually and controlled in other,functions. (For simplicity, FIG. 7 does not distinguish said decoders ator separately from their associated apparatus.)

Two matrix switches, 258 and 259, communicate the programming and SPAMmessage/control information transmissions among station apparatus.Matrix switch, 258, is a conventional matrix switch, well known in theart, with capacity for switching programming transmissions oftelevision, radio, and other forms of electronically transmittedprogramming. Matrix switch, 259, is a digital matrix switch, well knownin the art, with capacity for switching binary informationtransmissions. By means of matrix switch, 259, all apparatus communicatecontrol information and the information of SPAM messages that have beendetected in programming transmissions.

The station of FIG. 7 is preprogrammed to collect monitor information,and said decoders have bus means of the sort illustrated in FIG. 5 forcommunicating monitor information to an onboard controller, 14A, atsignal processor, 200. (For simplicity, FIG. 7 does not show saidmonitor information bus means.)

For communicating particular switching request control information tothe controller, 20, of signal processor, 200, said decoders also haveseparate control information bus means (which, for simplicity, is alsonot shown in FIG. 7). A particular control processor, 20A, that islocated, with appropriate RAM and ROM, at controller, 20; that isseparate from the CPU of controller, 20; and that is controlled by saidCPU in particular functions controls the communications of said controlinformation bus means. Said communications are conducted in a contentionfashion, well known in the art.

Signal processor, 200, is the basic SPAM control apparatus of thestation of FIG. 7 and has means for communicating control information(from its controller, 20) and SPAM messages (from its controller, 12)with each of said decoders and their associated apparatus. Signalprocessor, 200, communicates control information directly withdecryptors, 224 and 231, signal stripper, 229, signal generator, 230,microcomputer, 205, and matrix switch, 259. Via matrix switch, 259,signal processor, 200, has means for communicating control informationindividually to all other controlled apparatus including satellite earthstation, 250; satellite receiver circuitry, 251; converter boxes, 201and 222; other input apparatus, 252; radio tuner & amplifier, 213; TVtuner, 215; television recorder/player, 217; audio recorder/player, 255;computer memory unit, 256; other intermediate apparatus, 257; the TVmonitor apparatus, 202M, of TV set, 202; the speaker apparatus of radio,209; printer, 221; speaker system, 263; and other output system, 261. Inaddition, the aforementioned SPAM decoders at those of said othercontrolled apparatus where there are SPAM decoders have capacity forcommunicating with each of said other controlled apparatus by means ofsaid matrix switch, 259, in a fashion described more fully below. Signalprocessor, 200, controls matrix switches, 258 and 259, and has means forcommunicating switch control instructions to said switches, 258 and 259.(FIG. 7 also shows capacity whereby microcomputer, 205, can communicateswitch control instructions to said switches, 258 and 259; said capacityis intended to suggest that microcomputer, 205, may control saidswitches, 258 and 259, at stations that lack a signal processor, 200—forexample, stations that are not configured and preprogrammed to generateand/or display/output combined medium programming.)

Microcomputer, 205, controls apparatus of the station of FIG. 7 inaccordance with the preprogrammed instructions of the subscriber of saidstation. Microcomputer, 205, has means for controlling window openingand closing means, 208, furnace, 206, air conditioning system, 207, andother controlled apparatus, 260. Microcomputer, 205, has capacity tocommunicate control information (under control of signal processor, 200)with other selected apparatus of the station of FIG. 7 by means ofmatrix switch, 259.

In the spirit of the present invention, signal processor, 200, enableslocal apparatus of the station of FIG. 6 to process and/ordisplay/output received programming and SPAM information in accordancewith the intentions of the owners and suppliers of said programming andinformation (who may, for example, wish to be paid for use of theirprogramming). Simultaneously, the apparatus of said station areconfigured and microcomputer, 205, is preprogrammed to process and/ordisplay/output said supplied programming and information in accordancewith the demands of said subscriber. Local input, 225, has capacity toinput control instructions to signal processor, 200, and enables thesubscriber of the station of FIG. 7 to manually input controlinstructions at any relevant time. Microcomputer, 205, also has capacityto input control information (under control of signal processor, 200) tosignal processor, 200, which enables microcomputer, 205, at any relevanttime, to automatically input control information that reflectsparticular instructions of said subscriber that are preprogrammed atmicrocomputer, 205.

(This is only a representative group of equipment; many other types ofinput, intermediate, output, controlled, and meter apparatus could beincluded in FIG. 7.)

Features, benefits, and modes of operation of the station of FIG. 7 aredemonstrated in the following individual examples.

More Regarding the Preferred Controller of a Spam Decoder

The controller, 39, 44, or 47, of any given SPAM decoder (such as, forexample, the decoder, 203, associated with microcomputer, 205) hascapacity for communicating information from the matrix switch, 39I, ofsaid decoder to matrix switch, 259, and for receiving information frommatrix switch, 259, at the decryptor, 39K, buffer, 39G, and controlprocessor, 39J. Said control processor, 39J, also has capacity tocommunicate particular switch request information to the controller, 20,of signal processor, 200, directly via the aforementioned controlinformation bus means. In addition, said control processor, 39J, hasparticular SPAM-control-information-matrix-switch-connection registermemory at which said control processor, 39J, retains information thatidentifies the particular station apparatus to which matrix switch, 259,connects said matrix switch, 39I.

Automating U.R. Stations . . . Regulating Station Environment

FIG. 7A illustrates methods for regulating automatically the environmentof subscriber stations such as homes and offices. Particular SPAMregulating messages are embedded in one or more television programchannels that are inputted to signal processor, 200, and cable converterbox, 201. Said messages include weather bulletin messages that conveylocal weather information and instructions, including, for example,current outside temperature information, barometric readings, andforecast data. Said messages also include meter reading messages thatcause meter records of subscriber station utilities meters to betransmitted to remote metering stations.

Each subscriber station microcomputer, 205, is preprogrammed withparticular weather condition instructions that control selectedsubscriber station apparatus under alternate weather conditions such as,for example, forecast rain instructions, forecast no rain instructions,forecast warming instructions, and forecast cooling instructions. Andeach subscriber station signal processor, 200, is preprogrammed at itscontroller, 20, with particular meter reading instructions.

Each subscriber station signal processor, 200, operates continuously;scans all incoming channels sequentially at its switch, 1, and mixer, 3,as described in example #5 above; is preprogrammed at its controller,20, to cause its apparatus to tune to a particular master channel at aparticular master-control time; and is preprogrammed at the controller,39, of its decoder, 30, and at its controller, 12, to transfer to thedecoder, 203, of the microcomputer, 205, of its station any detectedSPAM message with an instance of particular URS-205 execution segmentinformation (which information is different from the execution segmentinformation of the combining synch commands of the “Wall Street Week”example). Said controller, 39, is also preprogrammed to transfer to saidcontroller, 20, via control transmission means, any detected SPAMmessage with an instance of particular URS-200 execution segmentinformation (which information is different from the execution segmentinformation of any encrypted combining synch commands of the “WallStreet Week” example).

The master-control time preprogrammed at the controller, 20, of thestation of FIGS. 7 and 7A is daily at 2:32 AM, 10:32 AM, and 6:32 PM.

At 6:32 PM on Feb. 27, 1988, receiving particular time information fromthe clock, 18, of said signal processor, 200, causes said controller,20, to cause the switch, 1, and mixer, 3, of said signal processor, 200,to input the transmission of said master channel to the decoder, 30, ofsaid signal processor, 200, and to cause said decoder, 30, to clear allinformation of any SPAM message from memory and commence processing todetect a SPAM end of file signal.

In due course, the computer, 73, of the station of FIG. 6 causes an endof file signal to be embedded in the normal transmission location ofsaid master channel, causing the control processor, 39J, of saiddecoder, 30, to commence waiting to detect a SPAM header.

Then said computer, 73, causes the embedding in said location and thetransmission of a particular Weather-Bulletin-125 SPAM message thatconsists of a “01” header, an execution segment of said URS-205execution segment information, a meter-monitor segment that containsWeather-Bulletin-125 identification information that distinguishes saidWeather-Bulletin-125 from all other weather bulletins, appropriatepadding bits, an information segment that contains particular currenttemperature thirty-two degrees centigrade, forecast rain, and forecastcooling to twenty-one degrees centigrade information, and an end of filesignal.

Said message is detected at said decoder, 30, and inputted to saidcontroller, 39, in the above described fashion.

Receiving said message causes said controller, 39, to execute particularpreprogrammed controlled function instructions that cause saidcontroller, 39, to locate said Weather-Bulletin-125 identificationinformation and determine that said information does not matchparticular information at particularlast-weather-bulletin-identification RAM at said controller, 39; toinput said message to the buffer/comparator, 8, of said signalprocessor, 200; to retain information of said Weather-Bulletin-125identification information at said last-weather-bulletin-identificationRAM; and to input particular step-completed information to saidcontroller, 20.

(Receiving said step-completed information causes controller, 20, tocause said switch, 1, mixer, 3, and decoder, 30, to commence functioningto identify program unit identification signal information in thefashion described in example #5.)

Receiving said Weather-Bulletin-125 message causes buffer/comparator, 8,to input said message to controller, 12.

Receiving said message causes said controller, 12, to execute particularpreprogrammed controlled function instructions that cause saidcontroller, 12, to transfer said message to decoder, 203. Automatically,controller, 12, determines that said message is addressed to URSmicrocomputers, 205; compares particular preprogrammed to-203information to the information at its particularSPAM-control-information-matrix-switch-connection-@12 register memory(which memory serves the same function as the aforementionedSPAM-control-information-matrix-switch-connection register memory ateach SPAM decoder of the station of FIG. 7). A match results whichsignifies that the switches of matrix switch, 259, are configured insuch a way that the input to switch, 259, that receives the output ofcontroller, 12, is switched to transfer information to the output ofswitch, 259, that inputs to the buffer, 39G, of decoder, 203. Resultingin a match causes controller, 12, to transfer said Weather-Bulletin-125SPAM message to matrix switch, 259, which causes matrix switch, 259, toinput said message to said buffer, 39G, and causes said buffer, 39G, toinput said message, in a fashion well known in the art, to controlprocessor, 39J.

Receiving said Weather-Bulletin-125 SPAM message causes decoder, 203, toexecute the information of the information segment of said message as amachine language job. Automatically, control processor, 39J, executesparticular preprogrammed Weather-Bulletin controlled functioninstructions that cause said control processor, 39J, to locate theWeather-Bulletin-125 identification information of said message; todetermine that said information does not match particular information atparticular last-weather-bulletin-identification RAM associated with saidcontrol processor, 39J; to input the information of the informationsegment of said message to the CPU of microcomputer, 205; to retaininformation of said Weather-Bulletin-125 identification information atsaid last-weather-bulletin-identification RAM; and to cause said CPU toexecute the information so inputted as a machine language job.

So executing said information causes microcomputer, 205, to reducing thepower usage of said air conditioning system, 207, causes any openwindows at said station to be closed. Automatically, microcomputer, 205,interrogates air conditioning system, 207, in a predetermined fashionwell known in the art; determines that the thermostat setting at saidsystem, 207, is a particular maintain-22-degrees-centigrade setting andthat the thermostat is programmed to cause said system, 207, to ceaseoperating when the thermometer of said thermostat reads twenty-onedegrees centigrade; computes particular a particularcease-operating-at-22-degrees-centigrade temperature that reflects theforecast drop in temperature; transmits said instructions of saidtemperature to said system, 207, thereby reducing the power usage ofsaid system, 207, by causing said thermostat, thenceforth, to cause saidsystem, 207, to cease operating when the thermometer of said thermostatreads twenty-two degrees centigrade; so-called “chains to”, in a fashionwell known in the art, the aforementioned forecast rain instructions;and executes said instructions. Executing said forecast raininstructions causes microcomputer, 205, to cause window opening andclosing means, 208, to close any open windows (and could cause theaforementioned other controlled apparatus, 260, which could be anautomatic lawn watering system to cease watering).

Simultaneously, by transmitting said Weather-Bulletin-125 SPAM messageto other subscriber stations of its field distribution system, 93, thestation of FIG. 6 causes other subscriber stations to function in thefashion of the station of FIG. 7.

In this fashion, SPAM messages can control and regulate the operation ofindividual subscriber station controlled apparatus (the thermostatcontrol of furnace, 206, for example, could be similarly controlled) andcontrol and regulate controlled apparatus at pluralities of stations.

(TV signal decoder, 203, has capacity, itself, to detect saidWeather-Bulletin-125 SPAM message but only when TV set, 202, is on andoperating and when the frequency of said master channel is the one TVchannel transferred by box, 201, to TV set, 202. Accordingly, decoder,203, may receive said message more than once. For this reason, decoder,203, is preprogrammed to load and execute the information segment onlyonce. Receiving said message a second time causes the control processor,39J, of decoder, 203, to execute the aforementioned Weather-Bulletincontrolled function instructions, and said instructions cause saidcontrol processor, 39J, to locate the aforementionedWeather-Bulletin-125 identification information in said message anddetermine that said information matches the aforementioned informationof said Weather-Bulletin-125 identification information-retained atparticular last-weather-bulletin-identification RAM associated with saidcontrol processor, 39J. So matching causes said control processor, 39J,under control of said controlled function instructions to discard theinformation of said message by transferring the information segment tothe null output of the matrix switch, 39I, of said decoder, 203, anddeleting all information of said message at the SPAM-input-signal memoryof said control processor, 39J.)

(No other SPAM decoder at the station of FIG. 7 is preprogrammed withSPAM-controlled-function-invoking information that matches said URS-205execution segment information. SPAM decoders of said station such as,for example, the decoder, 218, of video recorder/player, 218, may detectsaid Weather-Bulletin-125 SPAM message, but doing so will cause saiddecoders to discard said message because the execution segmentinformation of said message with fail to match anySPAM-controlled-function-invoking information.)

A second example illustrates the capacity of signal processor, 200, forinterrogating receiver station utilities meters (as shown in FIG. 7A),recording so-called “readings,” and transmitting said readings to remotestations.

The next day, Feb. 28, 1988 at 2:32 AM, receiving particular timeinformation from said clock, 18, causes said controller, 20, again tocause said switch, 1, and said mixer, 3, to input the transmission ofsaid master channel to said decoder, 30, and to cause said decoder, 30,to commence processing to detect a SPAM end of file signal.

In due course, the computer, 73, of the station of FIG. 6 causes an endof file signal to be transmitted, causing the control processor, 39J, ofsaid decoder, 30, to commence waiting to detect a SPAM header.

Then said computer, 73, causes the embedding and transmission of aparticular Read-Meters-of-Selected-Stations SPAM message that consistsof a “01” header, an execution segment of said URS-200 execution segmentinformation, a meter-monitor segment that containsMeter-Reading-of-2/28/88 identification information that distinguishessaid Read-Meters-of-Selected-Stations SPAM message from all other meterreading messages, appropriate padding bits, an information segment thatcontains particular determine-if-station-I.D.-is-in-particular-rangeinstructions and particular if-so-read-meter-262 instructions, and anend of file signal.

Said message is detected at said decoder, 30, and inputted to thecontroller, 39, of said decoder, 30.

Receiving said message causes said controller, 39, to transmit saidRead-Meters-of-Selected-Stations SPAM message to the controller, 20, ofthe signal processor, 200, of said station. Automatically, controller,39, executes particular preprogrammed controlled function instructionsthat cause said controller, 39, to locate said Meter-Reading-of-2/28/88identification information and to transmit a particular read-meterinstruction and information of said Meter-Reading-of-2/28/88identification information to said controller, 20. Receiving saidinstruction and information causes controller, 20, to determine thatsaid Meter-Reading-of-2/28/88 information does not match particularinformation at particular last-meter-reading-identification RAM at saidcontroller, 20, and to transmit a particular transmit-to-20 instructionto said controller, 39. Receiving said instruction causes saidcontroller, 39, to transmit said message to said controller, 20, viacontrol information transmission means and to commence waiting for theheader of a subsequent SPAM message.

Receiving said Read-Meters-of-Selected-Stations message causes saidcontroller, 20, to execute the information of the information segment ofsaid message as a job. Automatically, said controller, 20, executesparticular preprogrammed load-and-execute controlled functioninstructions that cause said controller, 20, to input the information ofthe information segment of said message to the CPU of controller, 20, toretain information of said Meter-Reading-of-2/28/88 identificationinformation at said last-meter-reading-identification RAM, and to causesaid CPU to execute the information so inputted as a machine languagejob.

So executing said information causes controller, 20, under control ofsaid determine-if-station-I.D.-is-in-particular-range instructions, tolocate at ROM, 21, the unique digital code information that identifiesthe station of FIG. 7 uniquely and to determine that the numeric valueof said information is greater than a particular lower range limit ofsaid instructions and less than a particular upper range limit. Sodetermining causes controller, 20, to execute said if-so-read-meter-262instructions.

(At any station where a controller, 20, determines that the numericvalue of the unique digital code information that identifies saidstation is less than said lower limit or greater than said upper limit,so determining causes said controller, 20, to discard all information ofsaid message, except information at thelast-meter-reading-identification RAM of said station, and to commenceprocessing in the conventional fashion.)

Executing said instructions causes controller, 20, first, to determinewhether a communications link exists between controller, 20, andutilities meter, 262. Automatically, controller, 20, compares particularpreprogrammed to-262 information to the information at its particularSPAM-control-information-matrix-switch-connection-@20 register memory(which memory serves the said function at controller, 20, that aSPAM-control-information-matrix-switch-connection register memory servesat each SPAM decoder of the station of FIG. 7). No match results whichsignifies that the switches of matrix switch, 259, are configured totransfer the input from controller, 20, to switch, 259, to apparatusdifferent from utilities meter, 262. Not resulting in a match causescontroller, 20, to input a particular preprogrammed switch-to-262instruction to the aforementioned control processor, 20A.

Receiving said instruction causes control processor, 20A, to establish atransmission link between controller, 20, and meter, 262. Automatically,control processor, 20A, executes particular instructions, preprogrammedat the aforementioned appropriate RAM and ROM located with saidprocessor, 20A, and under control of said instructions, causes matrixswitch, 259, to configure its switches in such a way that the input toswitch, 259, from controller, 20, is switched to transfer information tothe output of switch, 259, that inputs to meter, 262—therebyestablishing said link between controller, 20, and meter, 262—and totransfer a particular to-262 instruction to said controller, 20.

Receiving said to-262 instruction causes controller, 20, in apredetermined fashion, to place particular to-262 information at saidparticular SPAM-control-information-matrix-switch-connection-@20register memory then to execute particular ones of saidif-so-read-meter-262 instructions.

Executing said ones causes controller, 20, to transmit the currentreading information of utilities meter, 262, to a remote meteringstation computer and cause said computer to process said information.Automatically, controller, 20, transmits particular instructions, viasaid transmission link, to meter, 262, thereby causing meter, 262, totransmit its particular THIS-READING information (which is the currentreading information of said meter), via said transmission link, tocontroller, 20; activates telephone connection, 22; inputs a particulartelephone number (which number is preprogrammed among said ones) to autodialer, 24, causing said dialer, 24, to dial said number; establishes atelephone communication link with a particular remote metering stationcomputer in the fashion described above; and transmits said THIS-READINGinformation and information of the aforementioned unique digital codethat identifies the station of FIG. 7 uniquely to said computer, in afashion well known in the art, causing said computer to process saidinformation as particular meter reading information of said station andto respond by transmitting to said controller, 20, via said link,particular reading-received information.

Receiving said reading-received information causes controller, 20, todeactivate telephone connection, 22, to discard all information of saidRead-Meters-of-Selected-Stations SPAM message, except information at thelast-meter-reading-identification RAM of said station, and to commenceprocessing in the conventional fashion.

(In an alternate meter reading fashion, said if-so-read-meter-262instructions are permanently preprogrammed at ROM, 21, and receivingparticular day-of-month and time information from clock, 18, causes saidcontroller, 20, at a particular time each month, to execute saidinstructions, causing the transmission of meter reading information ofsaid meter, 262, said remote metering station, in the above fashion, andthe processing of said information at said station. Each station of thefield distribution system, 93, of an intermediate station such as FIG. 6is preprogrammed to function in this fashion at a different time overthe course of a month, and all stations transmit meter readinginformation during said month.)

(No SPAM decoder at the station of FIG. 7 other than said decoder, 30,is preprogrammed with SPAM-controlled-function-invoking information thatmatches said URS-200 execution segment information. Thus, while a SPAMdecoder such as, for example, decoder, 203 or 218, may detect saidRead-Meters-of-Selected-Stations SPAM message, doing so will cause saiddecoder to discard said message.)

Automating U.R. Stations . . . Coordinating a Stereo Simulcast

FIG. 7B illustrates automatic control of one kind of combined mediumpresentation—a stereo simulcast.

(In the present invention, turning on or changing a channel at areceiver, 215, of a television set, 202, causes apparatus at saidreceiver automatically to transmit an interrupt signal ofnew-channel-input information and input said interrupt signal directlyto the control processor, 39J, of the controller, 39, of the decoder,203, associated with said receiver, 215, [which signal said apparatushas means to input directly].)

At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7B, a subscriber decides to watch aparticular television program the audio of which is stereo simulcast ona local radio station, in a fashion well known in the art. Saidsubscriber switches power on to TV set, 202, and manually selects theproper channel, which is, for example, channel 13, at the televisiontuner, 215, of said set, 202, thereby display of the video and audioinformation of the transmission of said channel.

Switching power on to said set, 202, and tuning said tuner, 215, in thisfashion causes said tuner, 215, to input an interrupt signal ofnew-channel-input information to the control processor, 39J, of thecontroller, 39, of TV signal decoder, 203, and to commence inputting thedemodulated transmission of said channel to said decoder, 203.

Receiving said interrupt signal causes said control processor, 39J, tocause all apparatus of decoder, 203, to cease receiving televisiontransmission information and to delete all previously received SPAMinformation (and, in so doing, to set the information at the EOFS WORDCounter of the EOFS valve, 39F, of said controller, 39 to “00000000”,thereby discarding any previously received end of file signalinformation); to cause the matrix switch, 39I, to commence transferringinformation from EOFS valve, 39F, to its null output; to cause EOFSvalve, 39F, to commence processing detected SPAM information for an endof file signal; and to cause all apparatus of decoder, 203, to commencereceiving television transmission information.

Then so inputting said demodulated transmission to said decoder, 203,causes said decoder, 203, to commence detecting and processing SPAMmessage information embedded in said transmission.

In due course, the program originating studio that originates thetransmission of said channel embeds an end of file signal in saidtransmission, causing the EOFS valve, 39F, of said controller, 39, todetect said signal and transfer an interrupt signal ofEOFS-signal-detected information to the control processor, 39J, of saidcontroller, 39.

Receiving said interrupt signal at said control processor, 39J, causessaid control processor, 39J, to process the next received SPAMinformation as information of the header of a SPAM message, therebycausing said controller, 39, to commence identifying and processing theindividual SPAM messages of said detected SPAM information.

Periodically thereafter, said program originating studio embeds in saidtransmission and transmits a particular Tune-Radio-to-FM-104.1 SPAMmessage that consists of a “01” header, an execution segment ofparticular activate-simulcast information that is addressed to URS radiodecoders, 210, a meter-monitor segment that contains the “program unitidentification code” information of said particular television program,appropriate padding bits, an information segment that containsparticular 104.1-MHz information, and an end of file signal.

Said message is detected at said decoder, 203, and inputted to saidcontroller, 39, in the above described fashion.

Receiving said message causes said controller, 39, to execute particularpreprogrammed controlled function instructions that cause saidcontroller, 39, to transfer said message to the radio decoder, 210, ofradio, 209. First, said controller, 39, determines whether atransmission link exists between said controller, 39, and saidcontroller, 44. Automatically, said controller, 39, compares particularpreprogrammed to-210 information to the information at its particularSPAM-control-information-matrix-switch-connection register memory. Nomatch results which signifies that the switches of matrix switch, 259,are configured to transfer the input to switch, 259, from saidcontroller, 39, to apparatus other than radio decoder, 210. Notresulting in a match causes said controller, 39, to input a particularpreprogrammed switch-203-to-210 instruction to the aforementionedcontrol processor, 20A, via the aforementioned control information busmeans for communicating particular switching request controlinformation.

Receiving said instruction causes control processor, 20A, to establish atransmission link between the controller, 39, of decoder, 203, and thecontroller, 44, of decoder, 210. Automatically, under control ofparticular preprogrammed instructions, control processor, 20A, causesmatrix switch, 259, to configure its switches in such a way that theinput to switch, 259, from the controller, 39, of decoder, 203, isswitched to transfer information to the output of switch, 259, thatinputs to the buffer, 44G, of the controller, 44, of said decoder, 210,(said controller, 44, being identical to the controller, 39, of FIG. 3A,but the alphanumeric designation of the components of said controller,44, being designated with a “44” rather than a “39” number)—therebyestablishing said transmission link—and to transfer a particular to-210instruction to said controller, 39.

Receiving said to-210 instruction causes said controller, 39, in apredetermined fashion, to place particular to-210 information at saidSPAM-control-information-matrix-switch-connection register memory thento execute particular ones of said controlled function instructions.

Executing said ones causes said controller, 39, to transfer said messageto the radio decoder, 210, of radio, 209. Automatically, the controlprocessor, 39J, of said decoder, 203, causes the matrix switch, 39I, tocommence transferring information to matrix switch, 259, and causes theapparatus of controller, 39, in the fashion for transferring a “01”header message described above, to transfer said Tune-Radio-to-FM-104.1SPAM message, via said communications link, to the controller, 44, ofsaid decoder, 210.

Receiving said SPAM message causes said controller, 44, switch power onto and tune radio, 209, to the frequency, 104.1 MHz. (Controller, 44,has means for transmitting control information from its matrix switch,44I, to a particular switch, 212, and a particular digital tuner, 213,that are digitally actuated apparatus, well known in the art, that havecapacity, respectively, for switching power on to radio, 209, and fortuning radio, 209.) Automatically, the control processor, 44J, of saidcontroller, 44, executes particular preprogrammed activate-simulcastcontrolled function instructions, loads said 104.1-MHz information ofthe information segment of said message at particular tune-to workingregister memory, and determines that the information at said workingmemory does not match information at particular SPAM-is-tuned-toregister memory (which signifies that radio, 209, is not tuned to theradio frequency, 104.1 MHz). Not resulting in a match causes saidcontroller, 44, to determine, in a predetermined fashion, that radio,209, is not on and operating. So determining causes said controller, 44,under control of said instructions, to transmit particular preprogrammedinstructions, via said matrix switch, 44I, to switch, 212, therebycausing said switch, 212, to switch on and actuate radio, 209; totransmit particular preprogrammed instructions, via said matrix switch,44I, to tuner, 213, thereby causing said tuner, 213, to tune radio, 209,to said frequency, 104.1 MHz; and to place information of said 104.1-MHzinformation at said SPAM-is-tuned-to register memory. Automatically, thespeaker apparatus of said radio, 209, commences receiving information ofthe radio transmission of said frequency and emitting the audio sound ofsaid simulcast.

Thus switching power on to TV set, 202, and selecting channel 13 attelevision tuner, 215, are the only manual steps necessary to actuatethe radio simulcast of said channel at radio, 209.

In addition, because the station of FIG. 7 (and FIG. 7B) ispreprogrammed to collect monitor information, receiving saidTune-Radio-to-FM-104.1 SPAM message also causes the transmission ofmonitor information to the onboard controller, 14A, of said signalprocessor, 200, in the fashion of example #3 above. At decoder, 203,completing the controlled functions invoked by receiving said messagecauses the transfer, via the aforementioned bus means for communicatingmonitor information, to said onboard controller, 14A, of a firstinformation transmission of the execution and meter-monitor informationof said message with particular first source mark information thatidentifies TV set, 202. At decoder, 210, completing the controlledfunctions invoked by receiving said message causes the transfer, viasaid bus means, to said onboard controller, 14A, of a second informationtransmission of the execution and meter-monitor information of saidmessage with appropriate source mark information identifying radio, 209.

In the fashion of example #3 above, receiving said first transmission ofmonitor information causes said onboard controller, 14A, to cause asignal record of prior programming of TV set, 202, to be recorded at therecorder, 16, of signal processor, 200, (and may cause records to betransferred to a remote location) and causes said onboard controller,14A, to initiate a first signal record, associated with source markinformation that identifies TV set, 202, that is based on the “programunit identification code” information of said particular televisionprogram in the meter-monitor information of said Tune-Radio-to-FM-104.1SPAM message.

In the same fashion, receiving said second transmission of monitorinformation causes said onboard controller, 14A, to cause a signalrecord of prior programming of radio, 209, to be recorded at therecorder, 16, of signal processor, 200, (and may cause records to betransferred to a remote location) and causes said onboard controller,14A, to initiate a second signal record, associated with source markinformation that identifies radio, 209, that is based on said “programunit identification code” of said Tune-Radio-to-FM-104.1 SPAM message.However, to minimize unnecessary duplication, in a predeterminedfashion, onboard controller, 14A, determines that TV set, 202/decoder,203, is the principal source of information associated with said“program unit identification code”; retains information of said “programunit identification code” in said second signal record together withinformation that identifies said second record as a secondary record ofsaid first signal record; and retains information at said first signalrecord that identifies radio, 209/decoder, 210, as a secondary source ofmonitor information associated with said “program unit identificationcode.” In so doing, onboard controller, 14A, consolidates signal recordinformation of two different monitor information transmissions thatcontain different source mark information but common “program unitidentification code” information.

(If receiving said Tune-Radio-to-FM-104.1 SPAM message causes decryptionat decoder, 203, as receiving the first message of example #4 causeddecryption, receiving said Tune-Radio-to-FM-104.1 SPAM decoder, 203,causes, in the fashion of example #4, the decrypting of said message atdecoder, 203, and thereafter, the processing of the unencryptedinformation of said message. Said processing includes processing atsignal processor, 200, as in example #4, of meter and monitorinformation transferred from decoder, 203. Said processing includes thetransmitting of unencrypted information of said message from decoder,203, to decoder, 210; the execution of the controlled functions invokedat decoder, 210, by receiving said message; the transmission of monitorinformation of said message, in the fashion of example #3, from decoder,210, to signal processor, 200. and the processing of said monitorinformation at signal processor, 200, in the fashion of example #3.)

(In the present invention, switching power on to a radio, 209, orchanging a frequency at a radio, 209, causes apparatus at said radio,209, automatically to transmit an interrupt signal ofnew-frequency-input information and input said interrupt signal directlyto the control processor, 44J, of the controller, 44, of the decoder,210, associated with said radio, 209 [which signal said apparatus hasmeans to input directly].)

Switching power on to said radio, 209, and tuning radio, 209, to saidfrequency, 104.1 MHz, causes decoder, 210, to commence processing SPAMmessage information in the transmission of said frequency. In thefashion of TV set, 202, and decoder, 203, above, switching on and tuningradio, 209, causes said radio, 209, to input an interrupt signal ofnew-frequency-input information to the control processor, 44J, of thecontroller, 44, of radio decoder, 210, and to commence inputting thereceived transmission of said frequency to said decoder, 210, (whichdecoder, 210, does not include the radio receiver circuitry, 41, of FIG.2B because the transmission input decode, 210, is the transmissionalready received by the receiver circuitry of radio, 209, and whichinput is input directly to the radio decoder, 42, apparatus of saiddecoder, 210).

In the same fashion, receiving said interrupt signal ofnew-frequency-input information causes said controller, 44, to deleteall previously received SPAM information, to commence processingdetected SPAM information for an end of file signal, and to discard alldetected SPAM information until and end of file signal is detected.

In due course, the program originating studio that originates thetransmission of said frequency embeds an end of file signal in saidtransmission, causing said controller, 44, to detect said signal andcommence identifying and processing the individual SPAM messages of saiddetected SPAM information.

Periodically thereafter, said program originating studio embeds in saidtransmission and transmits a particular Activate-Stereo-Output SPAMmessage that consists of a “01” header, an execution segment ofparticular activate-speakers information that is addressed to URS signalprocessors, 200, a meter-monitor segment that contains secondary“program unit identification code” information of the audio program unitof said radio transmission and primary “program unit identificationcode” information of said particular television program, and appropriatepadding bits, an information segment that contains information oftelevision channel 13 and radio frequency 104.1 MHz, and an end of filesignal.

Said message is detected at said decoder, 210, and inputted to saidcontroller, 44.

Receiving said message causes said controller, 44, to execute particularpreprogrammed controlled function instructions that cause saidcontroller, 44, to transfer said message to the controller, 20, ofsignal processor, 200. Automatically, said controller, 44, comparesparticular preprogrammed to-20 information to the information at itsparticular SPAM-control-information-matrix-switch-connection registermemory. No match results which signifies that the switches of matrixswitch, 259, are configured to transfer the input to switch, 259, fromsaid controller, 44, to apparatus different from said controller, 20.Not resulting in a match causes said controller, 44, to input aparticular preprogrammed switch-210-to-20 instruction to theaforementioned control processor, 20A, via the aforementioned controlinformation bus means for communicating switching request information.

Receiving said instruction causes control processor, 20A, to establish acontrol information transmission link between said controller, 44, andsaid controller, 20. Automatically, under control of particularpreprogrammed instructions, control processor, 20A, causes matrixswitch, 259, to configure its switches to transfer the input from saidcontroller, 44, to the output of switch, 259, that inputs to saidcontroller, 20—thereby establishing said transmission link—and transfersa particular to-20 instruction to said controller, 44.

Receiving said to-20 instruction causes said controller, 44, to transfersaid Activate-Stereo-Output message to said controller, 20.Automatically, in a predetermined fashion, controller, 44, placesparticular to-information at saidSPAM-control-information-matrix-switch-connection register memory thenexecutes particular ones of said controlled function instructions.Automatically, under control of said ones, said controller, 44, causesits matrix switch, 44I, to commence transferring information to matrixswitch, 259, and causes, in the fashion for transferring a “01” headermessage described above, transfers said Activate-Stereo-Output SPAMmessage, via said link, to said controller, 20.

Receiving said SPAM message causes said controller, 20, to determinethat certain preconditions are satisfied—more precisely, that TV set,202, and radio, 209, are tuned, respectively, to the proper televisionchannel and the radio frequency of the stereo simulcast. Automatically,controller, 20, executes particular preprogrammedconditional-speaker-activation controlled function instructions; loadsthe information of television channel 13 and radio frequency 104.1 MHzof the information segment of said message at particular first andsecond register memory respectively; causes control processor, 20A, tocause matrix switch, 259, to establish a communications link betweencontroller, 20, and the control processor, 39J, of decoder, 203;determines, in a predetermined fashion, that information of the channelto which TV set, 202, is tuned matches the television channel 13information at said first register memory; causes control processor,20A, to cause matrix switch, 259, to establish a communications linkbetween controller, 20, and the control processor, 44J, of decoder, 210;and determines, in a predetermined fashion, that information of thefrequency to which radio, 209, is tuned matches the radio frequency104.1 MHz information at said second register memory. Determining amatch with said television channel 13 information and a match with saidradio frequency 104.1 MHz information satisfies said certainpreconditions and causes controller, 20, to execute particularstation-specific-stereo-simulcast instructions.

Station-specific-stereo-simulcast instructions reflect the particularfashion in which the subscriber of any given station wishes to haveaudio of stereo simulcasts outputted at his station, and preprogrammedstation-specific-stereo-simulcast instructions vary from subscriberstation to subscriber station.

Executing the particular station-specific-stereo-simulcast instructionsof the station of FIGS. 7 and 7C causes the controller, 20, of saidstation to cause stereo speaker system, 263 to emit the audio sound ofsaid transmission in a particular fashion and causes apparatus of TVset, 202, and of radio, 209, to cease emitting sound. Automatically,controller, 20, transmits switch control information to matrix switch,258, that causes said switch, 258, to configure its switches in such away that the programming input to switch, 258, from radio, 209, (whichinputs the audio information received at radio, 209) is switched totransfer information to the output of switch, 258, that inputs tospeaker system, 263; causes control processor, 20A, to cause matrixswitch, 259, to establish a communications link between controller, 20,and speaker system, 263; and causes speaker system, 263, to switch poweron and commence operating, in a fashion well known in the art, at aparticular so-called “balance” and a particular sound emitting volume.In so doing, controller, 20, causes speaker system, 263, to commencereceiving and emitting sound of the audio information of the stereosimulcast radio transmission received at radio, 209, in a particularfashion. Then automatically, under control of saidstation-specific-stereo-simulcast instructions, controller, 20, causescontrol processor, 20A, to cause matrix switch, 259, to establish acommunications link between controller, 20, and the control processor,39J, of decoder, 203; causes TV set, 202, in a predetermined fashion, tocease emitting sound of received audio; causes control processor, 20A,to cause matrix switch, 259, to establish a communications link betweencontroller, 20, and the control processor, 44J, of decoder, 210; andcauses radio, 209, in a predetermined fashion, to cease emitting soundof received audio. In so doing, controller, 20, causes speaker system,263, to be the only apparatus of the station of FIG. 7 emitting sound ofsaid stereo simulcast.

(At other stations where said Activate-Stereo-Output SPAM message isreceived, said certain preconditions may not be satisfied—at one givenstation, for example, the radio, 209, of may be tuned to radio frequency104.1 MHz but the TV set, 202, may be tuned to a channel other thantelevision channel 13 which would signify that the subscriber of saidstation was not viewing a simulcast. Said stations would not executestation-specific-stereo-simulcast instructions. Instead, otherinstructions would be executed, and said instructions might, forexample, merely discard all information of said Activate-Stereo-OutputSPAM message. And at stations where station-specific-stereo-simulcastinstructions are executed, the executed instructions, which are stationspecific and vary from station to station, will cause differentfunctioning at different stations. For example, balance and soundemitting volume can vary from station to station, and at some stations,radios, 209, and/or TV sets, 202, may continue emitting sound ofreceived audio.)

Thus, by switching power on to TV set, 202, and selecting channel 13 attelevision tuner, 215, said subscriber not only actuates automaticallythe radio simulcast of said channel at radio, 209, but also causes theapparatus of his station automatically to emit the sound of the receivedaudio in his own predetermined fashion.

And automatically, monitor information is collected at signal processor,200, that reflects the operation of speaker system, 263.

Because the information of said Activate-Stereo-Output SPAM message istransmitted periodically in said radio programming transmission, asubsequent instance of said information is received at speaker system,263, embedded in the audio information received (via switch, 258) fromradio, 209. Receiving said subsequent instance causes the SPAM decoderapparatus associated (in the fashion of the decoder, 285, if FIG. 5)with said speaker system, 263, to detect the Activate-Stereo-Output SPAMmessage information of said instance and to transfer to the onboardcontroller, 14A, of signal processor, 200, via the aforementioned busmeans for communicating monitor information, a particular thirdtransmission of monitor information containing the execution andmeter-monitor information of said instance, with appropriate source markinformation identifying speaker system, 263.

In the fashion described above, receiving said third transmission ofmonitor information causes said onboard controller, 14A, to cause asignal record of prior programming of speaker system, 263, to berecorded at the recorder, 16, of signal processor, 200, (and may causerecords to be transferred to a remote location) and causes said onboardcontroller, 14A, to initiate a third signal record, associated withsource mark information that identifies speaker system, 263, that isbased on the aforementioned secondary “program unit identification code”information of the audio program unit of said radio transmission.However, to minimize unnecessary duplication, in a predeterminedfashion, onboard controller, 14A, determines that radio, 209/decoder,210, is the principal source of information associated with saidsecondary “program unit identification code”; retains information ofsaid secondary “code” in said third signal record together withinformation that identifies said third record as a subordinate record ofthe aforementioned second signal record; and retains information at theaforementioned first signal record that identifies speaker system, 263,as a tertiary source of monitor information associated with the “programunit identification code” information of said particular televisionprogram. In so doing, onboard controller, 14A, consolidates signalrecord information of three different monitor information transmissionsthat contain different source mark information but common “program unitidentification code” information.

Automating U. R. Stations . . . Receiving Selected Programming

FIG. 7C illustrates methods for monitoring multiple programmingchannels, selecting programming and information of interest, andreceiving said selected programming and information.

The microprocessor, 205, of the station of FIGS. 7 and 7C, ispreprogrammed to hold records of a portfolio of stocks and to receiveand process automatically news items about said stocks and about theindustries of said stocks. The signal processor, 200, of said station ispreprogrammed at the RAM associated with the control processor, 39J, ofthe controller, 39, of its decoder, 30, with particularnews-items-of-interest information that includes identificationinformation of the particular stocks in said portfolio and at itscontroller, 20, with particular cause-selection instructions thatcontrol said controller, 20, in selecting transmissions of news items ofinterest.

One company whose stock is preprogrammed at said microprocessor, 205, isthe American Telephone and Telegraph Company whose stock is identifiedby particular binary information of “T”. And among thenews-items-of-interest information at said RAM is an instance of saidbinary information of “T”.

Two remote stations—remote news-service-A station and remotenews-service-B station—transmit, from geographically separate locations,two different broadcast print transmissions.

The intermediate transmission station of FIG. 6 receives and retransmitsinformation the transmissions of said remote stations on digital datachannels A and B, respectively, that are inputted to converter boxes,222 and 201, and to signal processor, 200. (Other intermediate stationsreceive and retransmit information of said transmission on otherchannels.)

Each remote station transmits each particular news item within theparticular format of a Transmit-News-Item SPAM message, and receivingany given message in a Transmit-News-Item SPAM message format causes thecomputer, 73, of any given intermediate transmission station to transmita particular Select-News-Item message a particular preprogrammed numberof times in a particular Select-Digital-News-Item message format then totransmit the information of said news items within a message that istransmitted particular Specific-Digital-News-Item message format.

In due course, said remote news-service-A station transmits a particularAT&T news item in a particular Transmit-AT&T-News-Item message that isin said Transmit-News-Item SPAM message format and that consists of an“01” header, an execution segment of particular transmit-news-messageinformation that is addressed to ITS computers, 73, a meter-monitorsegment that contains the “program unit identification code” informationof said AT&T news item and subject matter information of said binaryinformation of “T”, appropriate padding bits, an information segmentthat contains said AT&T news item, and an end of file signal.

Receiving said Transmit-AT&T-News-Item message causes the computer, 73,of the station of FIG. 6 to transmit a particular preprogrammed numberof times on digital data channel A a particular Select-AT&T-News-Itemmessage then to transmit a particular Specific-AT&T-News-Item message.(Receiving said Transmit-AT&T-News-Item message causes a computer, 73,at each one of said other intermediate transmission stations to causethe transmission of similar messages on a selected channel a each ofsaid stations.) Said Select-AT&T-News-Item message is in saidSelect-Digital-News-Item message format and consists of an “01” header;an execution segment of particular select-news-item information that isaddressed to URS signal processor, 200; a meter-monitor segment thatconsists of the meter-monitor information of said Transmit-News-ItemSPAM message plus information that identifies said intermediate station(the format information of said meter-monitor information being modifiedto reflect the addition of said information that identifies saidstation); appropriate padding bits; an information segment that containsthe binary information of “T” information of said subject matterinformation; and an end of file signal. The particular number of timesthat any given intermediate station transmits said message is the numberof times necessary to permit apparatus of a signal processor, 200, ateach subscriber station of said intermediate station, functioning in thefashion of example #5, to detect and process at least one instance ofsaid Select-AT&T-News-Item message and to permit apparatus each stationthen to tune to the transmission of a selected digital data channel andreceive, in the fashion described below, said Specific-AT&T-News-Itemmessage. And said Specific-AT&T-News-Item message is in saidSpecific-Digital-News-Item message format consists of an “01” header; anexecution segment of particular process-news-item information that isaddressed to URS microcomputers, 73; a meter-monitor segment that isidentical to the meter-monitor segment of said Select-AT&T-News-Itemmessage; appropriate padding bits; an information segment that containsthe information of said AT&T news item; and an end of file signal.

At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7C, signal processor, 200, scanssequentially all channels at its switch, 1, mixer, 3, and decoder, 30,in the fashion of example #5.

In due course, one instance of said Select-AT&T-News-Item message isdetected at said decoder, 30, and inputted to the controller, 39, ofsaid decoder, 30.

Receiving said Select-AT&T-News-Item message causes said controller, 39,to transmit said message to the controller, 20, of said signalprocessor, 200. Automatically, controller, 39, executes particularpreprogrammed controlled function instructions that cause saidcontroller, 39, to load the binary information of “T” information of theinformation segment of said message at particular working registermemory and determine that the information at said memory matches theaforementioned binary information of “T” that is among thenews-items-of-interest information at the RAM associated with controlprocessor, 39J. Determining a match causes said controller, 39, totransmit said message, with channel mark information that identifies theparticular channel in which said message was embedded, to saidcontroller, 20, via control information transmission means and tocontinue functioning in the fashion of example #5.

Receiving said message causes said controller, 20, to cause a selectedcable converter box, 222, to receive the transmission identified by saidchannel mark; to cause All signal decoder, 290, (which is identical tothe TV signal decoder of FIG. 2A with the added capacity of the radiosignal decoder of FIG. 2B to receive, detect, and input SPAM informationembedded in radio frequency transmissions to a controller, 39, plus theadded capacity of the other signal decoder of FIG. 2C to receive,detect, and input SPAM information embedded in other frequencytransmissions to said controller, 39) at microcomputer, 205, to receivethe transmission of a particular television frequency transmission andto commence processing detected SPAM information for an end of filesignal; and to establish a programming transmission link between saidselected box, 222, and All signal decoder, 290, at microcomputer, 205.Automatically, controller, 20, executes the instructions of a particularpreprogrammed controlled function (that is different from the functioninvoked by said message at said controller, 39). Automatically,controller, 20, establishes a control information transmission linkbetween controller, 20, and the tuner, 223, of said selected box, 222,by inputting a particular instruction to control processor, 20A, thatcauses control processor, 20A, to cause matrix switch, 259, to configureits switches in such a way that its input from controller, 20, isswitched to its output that inputs to said tuner, 223. Then receiving aparticular to-223 instruction from said control processor, 20A, causescontroller, 20, to transmits particular instructions, via said controlinformation transmission link, to said tuner, 223, thereby causing saidtuner, 223, to tune its associated cable converter box, 222, the to theparticular channel transmission of said multi-channel cable transmissionthat is identified by said channel mark. Automatically, controller, 20,establishes a control information transmission link between controller,20, and said decoder, 290, by inputting a particular instruction tocontrol processor, 20A, that causes control processor, 20A, to causematrix switch, 259, to configure its switches to transfer informationfrom its input from controller, 20, to its output that inputs to saiddecoder, 290. Then receiving a particular to-290 instruction from saidcontrol processor, 20A, causes controller, 20, to input an interruptsignal of new-channel-input information, in a predetermined fashion, tothe control processor, 39J, of the controller, 39, of said decoder, 290.Receiving said interrupt signal causes said control processor, 39J, todelete all previously received SPAM information; to cause its associatedmatrix switch, 39I, to commence transferring information from the EOFSvalve, 39F, to its null output; and to cause said EOFS valve, 39F, tocommence processing detected SPAM information for an end of file signal.Then automatically, controller, 20, inputs switch control instructionsto matrix switch, 258, thereby causing matrix switch, 258, to configureits switches in such a way that the input to switch, 258, from cableconverter box, 222, is switched to transfer information to the output ofswitch, 258, that inputs to said decoder, 290. In so doing, controller,20, causes said decoder, 290, to commence receiving the programmingtransmission of digital data channel A and causes said decoder, 290, tocommence detecting and processing SPAM message information embedded insaid transmission.

In due course, a subsequent instance of said Select-AT&T-News-Itemmessage is transmitted on said channel A, causing the EOFS valve, 39F,of said decoder, 290, to detect the end of file signal of said messageand causing the controller, 39, of said decoder, 290, to commenceidentifying and processing the individual SPAM messages detected in thetransmission of said channel A. (Said decoder, 290, is not preprogrammedwith any controlled-function-invoking information that matches theexecution segment information of a said Select-AT&T-News-Item message,so receiving any given instance of said message causes decoder, 290,merely to discard said message.)

In due course, said Specific-AT&T-News-Item message is transmitted onsaid channel A.

Transmitting said message causes decoder, 290, to detect and input saidmessage to the controller, 39, of said decoder, 290.

Receiving said message causes said controller, 39, to causemicrocomputer, 205, to process information of said message.Automatically, controller, 39, executes the instructions of a particularpreprogrammed controlled function and inputs to an input buffer ofmicrocomputer, 205, a particular input-from-290 computer job thatconsists of process-this-data-input-from-290 instructions and particulardata. Said data includes the meter-monitor information of said messageand the information of the information segment of said message—that is,said AT&T news item.

In due course and in a predetermined fashion, microcomputer, 205,processes said job; determines that the preprogrammed instructionsentered by the subscriber of the station of FIGS. 7 and 7C are to printat printer, 221, data of any job of process-this-data-input-from-290instructions; and causes said AT&T news item to be printed at saidprinter, 221. Automatically, microcomputer, 205, executes particularpreprogrammed instructions and inputs a particular switch-205-to-221instruction to the controller, 20, of signal processor, 200. Receivingsaid instruction causes said controller, 20, to input particular switchcontrol instructions to matrix switch, 258, thereby causing matrixswitch, 258, to configure its switches in such a way that the input toswitch, 258, from microcomputer, 205, is switched to transferinformation to the output of switch, 258, that inputs to said printer,221. Then automatically, microcomputer, 205, transfers said data to saidprinter, 221. In so doing, microcomputer, 205, causes printer, 221, in apredetermined fashion, to print said AT&T news item. (Said preprogrammedinstructions entered by the subscriber might cause said microcomputer,for example, then to establish a programming communication link withcomputer memory unit, 256, and to cause said unit, 256, to record saidAT&T news item.)

Receiving the aforementioned instance of said Select-AT&T-News-Itemmessage and said Specific-AT&T-News-Item message at the station of FIG.7 also causes processing of monitor information at said signalprocessor, 200, in the fashions described above. After transferring theinformation of said Select-AT&T-News-Item message to said controller,20, said controller, 39, automatically transfers monitor information ofsaid message to buffer/comparator, 14, thereby causing the onboardcontroller, 14A, to process information of the availability at saidstation of said AT&T news item. After executing the controlled functionsinvoked by said Specific-AT&T-News-Item message, said controller, 20,automatically transfers monitor information of said message tobuffer/comparator, 14, thereby causing the onboard controller, 14A, toprocess information of the use of said AT&T news item at microcomputer,205. And receiving said data at printer, 221, causes other decoder, 227(see FIG. 5), in a predetermined fashion, to detect in said data themeter-monitor information of said Specific-AT&T-News-Item message and totransmit said meter-monitor information to signal processor, 200,thereby causing said onboard controller, 14A, to retain monitorinformation and initiate a secondary signal record in the fashiondescribed above.

Automating U. R. Stations . . . More on Example #7 . . . ReceivingSelected Programming and Combining Selected URS Microcomputers, 205,Automatically to the Computer System of a Selected ProgrammingTransmission

In the present invention, the computer information of any given combinedmedium combining is processed by a computer system that consists of aplurality of computers each of which is at a subscriber station and allof which process, in parallel, and output their specific informationunder control of one transmission of embedded computer programminginputted to said system at a program originating studio. The FIG. 1Ccombining of the “Wall Street Week” example provides one example of sucha combining. The computer system of said example consists of a pluralityof microcomputers, 205, each of which is at a different subscriberstation, and the program originating studio that originates transmissionof the “Wall Street Week” programming embeds and transmits a series ofSPAM messages that control all of said microcomputers, 205. Undercontrol of the first message, each one of said plurality ofmicrocomputers, 205, generates its own specific FIG. 1A information.Then, under control of the second message, each of said microcomputers,205, combines its specific FIG. 1A information with transmitted FIG. 1Binformation, and all of said microcomputers, 205, display their specificFIG. 1C images (which differ from station to station).

The present invention includes capacity whereby SPAM message informationtransmitted by any given program originating studio can cause aplurality of selected computers to select programming in the fashiondescribed above, and in so doing, to combine to an come under control ofthe computer system of said studio.

For example, all URS microcomputers, 205, of a large plurality ofsubscriber stations (of which the station of FIGS. 7 and 7C is onestation) are preprogrammed with particular program-unit-of-interestinformation and with particularstation-specific-television-program-selection-and-display instructions.Said program-unit-of-interest information includes information ofparticular television programs that the subscribers of the stations ofsaid microcomputers, 205, wish to view when said programs aretransmitted. Some among said television programs are combined mediumtelevision programs. Saidstation-specific-television-program-selection-and-display instructionsreflect the specific fashion in which any selected one of said programsis to be selected and displayed when said program is transmitted.

The program-unit-of-interest information preprogrammed at themicrocomputer, 205, of the station of FIGS. 7 and 7C includes particularspecific-WSW information that reflects the wish of the subscriber ofsaid station to view (or record) said “Wall Street Week” program whensaid program is transmitted. In a predetermined fashion, said subscriberhas caused to be included in said program-unit-of-interest information.(Microcomputers, 205, of selected other stations of said large pluralityof stations are also so preprogrammed.) Thestation-specific-television-program-selection-and-display instructionsat the microcomputer, 205, of the station of FIGS. 7 and 7C includesparticular information that said subscriber will pay up to a certainlimit—for example, twenty-five cents—to be permitted to receive saidprogram and that, if the TV set, 202, of said station is switched offwhen information of the transmission of said program is detected, powershould be switched on to said TV set, 202, and said program should bedisplayed at the monitor, 202M, of said set and, in addition, powershould be switched on to the video recorder/player, 217, of saidstation, and said program should be recorded at said recorder/player,217.

The signal processor, 200, of said station scans sequentially allreceived television transmission channels in the fashion described aboveand is preprogrammed at the RAM associated with the control processor,39J, of its decoder, 30, to respond in a particular controlled functionfashion whenever a SPAM message with an execution segment of particularavailable-television-program information is detected. Said signalprocessor, 200, has capacity for actuating and tuning TV set, 202, andvideo recorder, 217, and for controlling microcomputer, 205.

(The microcomputers, 205, of selected other stations of said largeplurality of stations are also preprogrammed with select-WSW informationand with station-specific-television-program-selection-and-displayinstructions [which instructions differ from station to station], andthe signal processors, 200, of said stations are preprogrammed functionin the same fashion as the signal processor, 200, of the station ofFIGS. 7 and 7C.)

The program originating studio that originates the “Wall Street Week”program originates, embeds, and transmits the programming in theencrypted fashion of example #7 above, and the intermediate transmissionstation of FIG. 6 receives and retransmits said programming, in thefashion of example #7, on cable channel 13 which is inputted, at thestation of FIGS. 7 and 7C, to converter boxes, 222 and 201, and tosignal processor, 200. (Other intermediate stations receive andretransmit information of said transmission on other channels, and theaforementioned specific-WSW information [that is included inprogram-unit-of-interest information] is specified above, in example #7,at page 289, line 35.)

Before transmitting any given program unit of television programming,any given program originating studio transmits a particularintermediate-station-control message in the particular format of aPrepare-To-Retransmit-Television-Program-Unit SPAM message, andreceiving any given SPAM message in said format causes the computer, 73,of any given intermediate transmission station to generate a particularseries of messages and retain complete information of said messages atparticular memory locations, to prepare particular apparatus of saidstation to retransmit the programming of said program unit, and totransmit said retained messages in a particular fashions at particulartimes.

The cable program controller & computer, 73, of each intermediatestation is preprogrammed with schedule information that reflects theparticular time at which and the channel on which said station willretransmit said “Wall Street Week” program. The particular channelinformation of the computer, 73, of the station FIG. 6 is CC13 and theparticular time information is particular-8:30, reflecting that saidstation is schedule to retransmit said program on cable channel 13 at aparticular 8:30 PM time (which is the time at which the programoriginating studio that originates the “Wall Street Week” programtransmits the so-called “live” programming of said program. (Aparticular other computer, 73, is preprogrammed with particular channelinformation of CC11 and particular time information of particular-9:30,reflecting that the station of said other computer, 73, is schedule toretransmit said program, so-called “time delayed,” on cable channel 11at a particular 9:30 PM time.)

In due course, the program originating studio that originates thetransmission of said “Wall Street Week” program transmits a particularPrepare-To-Retransmit-WSW message (which is the particularintermediate-station-control message of said “Wall Street Week” program)in said Prepare-To-Retransmit-Television-Program-Unit format, and saidmessage consists of an “01” header; an execution segment of particularload-and-execute information that is addressed to ITS computers, 73; ameter-monitor segment that contains the “program unit identificationcode” information of said “Wall Street Week” program; appropriatepadding bits; an information segment of particularincorporate-and-retain-Select-WSW-Program-Unit-SPAM-message instructionsthat include particular generally applicableplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-XXXX-at-YYYYYYYYYYYYYYY information andspecific-WSW information, particularincorporate-and-retain-Specific-WSW-Enabling-message instructions thatinclude the aforementioned particular enable-WSW instructions,particular timing that include particular-8:30-PM information, andparticular interconnect-and-encrypt-the-audio-of-WSW instructions; andan end of file signal.

Receiving said Prepare-To-Retransmit-WSW message causes apparatus of thestation of FIG. 6 to input the information of the information segment ofsaid message to the computer, 73, of said station and to execute theinformation so inputted as a machine language job. (Receiving saidmessage causes apparatus at other stations to function similarly.)

Executing saidincorporate-and-retain-Select-WSW-Program-Unit-SPAM-message instructionscauses said computer, 73, to generate particularplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information and aparticular Select-WSW-Program-Unit SPAM message and to retain saidmessage at particular Select-Program-Unit-Message-to-Transmit memory.Automatically, said computer, 73, generates saidplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information byreplacing the information of particular variables, XXXX andYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, in said generally applicableplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-XXXX-at-YYYYYYYYYYYYYYY information with saidCC13 and said particular-8:30 information that are preprogrammed at saidcomputer, 73, and that reflect that the schedule of the intermediatestation of said computer, 73. Said Select-WSW-Program-Unit messageconsists of an “01” header; an execution segment of information that isidentical to the aforementioned available-television-programinformation; a meter-monitor segment that consists of the meter-monitorinformation of said Prepare-To-Retransmit-WSW message plus informationthat identifies said intermediate station (the format information ofsaid meter-monitor information being modified to reflect the addition ofsaid information that identifies said station); appropriate paddingbits; an information segment of generally applicabledetermine-whether-to-select instructions of said Transmit-Select-WSWmessage that contain said particular specific-WSW information and saidplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information; and anend of file signal.

(The modified meter-monitor format information in said message ispreprogrammed in saidincorporate-and-retain-Select-WSW-Program-Unit-SPAM-message instructionsand is caused, by said instructions, to replace the meter-monitor formatinformation of said Prepare-To-Retransmit-WSW message message to reflectthe addition of the aforementioned information that identifies thestation of FIG. 6. In other words, a station specific identificationdatum is added at each station to the meter-monitor information of saidPrepare-To-Retransmit-WSW message. The station specific identificationdata vary from station to station. However, all station specificidentification data are in the same format and are added to saidmeter-monitor information in the same fashion. Hence, all instances ofSelect-WSW-Program-Unit message meter-monitor information are in thesame format.)

(Executing saidincorporate-and-retain-Select-WSW-Program-Unit-SPAM-message instructionscauses said other computer, 73, that is preprogrammed with particularCC11 and particular-9:30 information to generate particularplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC11-at-particular-9:30 information thatreflects the schedule of the station of said other computer, 73, and toincorporate said information into the information segment of the stationspecific Select-WSW-Program-Unit SPAM message of said station.)

Executing said incorporate-and-retain-Specific-WSW-Enabling-messageinstructions causes the computer, 73, of the station of FIG. 6 togenerate a Specific-WSW-Enabling-message, which is the aforementionedlocal-cable-enabling-message (#7) (see the paragraph that begins aboveat page 291, line 9), and to retain said message at particularSpecific-WSW-Enabling-Message-to-Transmit memory. (see the paragraphthat begins above at page 291, line 9.) All information of said messageis preprogrammed at said computer, 73, prior to the executing of saidinstructions (including the aforementioned enable-WSW instructions andenable-WSW-programming information that are preprogrammed in saidincorporate-and-retain-Specific-WSW-Enabling-message instructions), andsaid incorporate-and-retain-Specific-WSW-Enabling-message instructionscause said computer, 73, to select the specific preprogrammedinformation of said message from among all the preprogrammed informationof said computer, 73, and to assemble said selected information at saidmemory. When assembled, said message consists of an “01” header; anexecution segment of particular preprogrammedenable-next-program-on-CC13 information that is addressed to URS signalprocessors, 200; a meter-monitor segment whose information is identicalto the meter-monitor information of said Select-WSW-Program-Unit SPAMmessage; appropriate padding bits; an information segment that containsparticular enable-CC13 instructions and said enable-WSW instructionswhich include said enable-WSW-programming information; and an end offile signal.

Executing said timing instructions, causes each intermediate station tocommence transmitting its station specific Select-WSW-Program-Unit SPAMmessage at a station specific time; to transmit said message over andover for a station specific interval of time; to execute saidinterconnect-and-encrypt-the-audio-of-WSW instructions at a particulartime; and to transmit its station specific Specific-WSW-Enabling-messageafter a particular enabling time. The particular time at which any givenstation commences transmitting its station specificSelect-WSW-Program-Unit SPAM message is before the minimum time prior tothe commence enabling time of said station necessary for each subscriberstation of said intermediate station, functioning in the fashion ofexample #5, to detect and process at least one instance of saidSelect-WSW-Program-Unit message and then to tune to the transmission ofa selected master cable control channel and receive, in the fashiondescribed below, the station specific Specific-WSW-Enabling-message ofits intermediate transmission station. The particular number of timesthat any given intermediate station transmits its station specificSelect-WSW-Program-Unit SPAM message is the number of times necessary topermit apparatus of a signal processor, 200, at each subscriber stationof said intermediate station to detect and process at least one instanceof said Select-WSW-Program-Unit message.

In due course, executing said timing instructions causes the computer,73, of the station of FIG. 6 to commence transmitting the SPAM messageat its particular Select-Program-Unit-Message-to-Transmit memory, whichis its station specific Select-WSW-Program-Unit SPAM message, embeddedin the normal transmission location of cable channel 13.

Subsequently, executing said timing instructions causes said computer,73, to execute said interconnect-and-encrypt-the-audio-of-WSWinstructions.

Executing said last named instructions causes said computer, 73, tocause apparatus of said station to receive the transmission of theprogram originating studio of the “Wall Street Week” program; to inputsaid transmission, via the matrix switch, 75, of said station, toparticular apparatus, well known in the art, that encrypt the audioportion of said transmission and output the video and encrypted audioportions of said transmission in proper synchronization; to cause saidapparatus to encrypt the information of said audio portion using aparticular preprogrammed cipher algorithm C and cipher key Ca; and totransfer the output of said apparatus, via matrix switch, 75, to fielddistribution system, 93, via the particular modulator, 82, 86, or 90, ofcable channel 13.

In due course, while scanning sequentially all channels in the fashionof example #5, the apparatus of the signal processor, 200, of thestation of FIGS. 7 and 7C detects one instance of theSelect-WSW-Program-Unit SPAM message of the station of FIG. 6 and inputssaid message to the controller, 39, of the decoder, 30, of said signalprocessor, 200.

Receiving said Select-WSW-Program-Unit message causes the apparatus ofsaid signal processor, 200, to input said message to the microcomputer,205, of said station. Automatically, said controller, 39, determinesthat the execution segment of said message matches its preprogrammedavailable-television-program controlled-function-invoking information;executes the associated controlled function instructions; inputs saidmessage to the buffer/comparator, 8, of said signal processor, 200; andto inputs particular step-completed information to said controller, 20.(Receiving said information causes controller, 20, to cause the relevantapparatus of said signal processor, 200, to commence functioning toidentify program unit identification signal information in the fashiondescribed in example #5.) Receiving said message causesbuffer/comparator, 8, to input said message to controller, 12. Receivingsaid message causes controller, 12, to execute particular preprogrammedcontrolled function instructions; to establish a control informationcommunications link, via matrix switch, 259, to the buffer, 39G, of thecontroller, 39, of said decoder, 203; to transfer said message, via saidlink, to said buffer, 39G.

Receiving said Select-WSW-Program-Unit message causes decoder, 203, toexecute the information of the information segment of said message as amachine language job. Automatically, control processor, 39J, executesparticular preprogrammed available-television-program controlledfunction instructions that cause said control processor, 39J, to inputthe information of the information segment of said message to the CPU ofmicrocomputer, 205, and to cause said CPU to execute the information soinputted as a machine language job. The information so inputted is theaforementioned determine-whether-to-select instructions that containsaid particular specific-WSW information and saidplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information.

Executing said determine-whether-to-select instructions causesmicrocomputer, 205, to input saidplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information to thecontroller, 20, of signal processor, 200. Said instructions contain oneinstance, and the aforementioned program-unit-of-interest informationthat is preprogrammed at said microcomputer, 205, contains a secondinstance of specific-WSW information, which second instance reflects thewish of the subscriber of said station to view (or record) said “WallStreet Week” program when said program is transmitted. Automatically,microcomputer, 205, compares said one instance to saidprogram-unit-of-interest information and determines a match with saidsecond instance. Determining a match causes microcomputer, 205,automatically to input saidplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information to thecontroller, 20.

Receiving said please-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30information causes controller, 20, in a predetermined fashion, toprepare particular apparatus of signal processor, 200, to receive saidlocal-cable-enabling-message (#7) (which is the station specificSpecific-WSW-Enabling-message of the station of FIG. 6). Controller, 20,is preprogrammed with particularreceive-authorizing-info-at-appointed-time instructions, information ofa particular standard-local-station-interval quantity of time,particular enable-next-program-on-CC13 information, and information of aparticular master cable control channel. Receiving saidplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information causescontroller, 20, to execute saidreceive-authorizing-info-at-appointed-time instructions. Automatically,controller, 20, selects said CC13 and said particular-8:30 informationfrom the information of saidplease-fully-enable-WSW-on-CC13-at-particular-8:30 information andcomputes the aforementioned commence-enabling time (see example #7) bysubtracting said standard-local-station-interval quantity of time fromthe schedule time information of said particular-8:30 information. Atsaid commence-enabling time, receiving time information from clock, 18,causes controller, 20, automatically to cause all apparatus of decoder,30, to delete from memory all information of received SPAM information;to cause the controller, 39J, of said decoder, 30, to place one instanceof said enable-next-program-on-CC13 information at a particularcontrolled-function-invoking information location; to cause apparatus ofsignal processor, 200, to input the transmission of said cable controlchannel to decoder, 30; and to cause the EOFS valve, 39F, of saiddecoder, 30, to commence processing detected SPAM information to detectan end of file signal. In so doing, controller, 20, causes decoder, 30,to commence receiving the transmission of said master cable controlchannel and processing SPAM information in said transmission. Inaddition, controller, 20, automatically places one instance of saidenable-next-program-on-CC13 information at a particularcontrolled-function-invoking-@20 information location at controller, 20.

In due course, executing said timing instructions causes the computer,73, of the station of FIG. 6 to transmit a particular message that endswith an end of file signal.

Receiving said message causes said EOFS valve, 39F, to detect the end offile signal in said message, thereby causing the apparatus of decoder,30, to commence identifying and processing the individual SPAM messagesembedded in said transmission.

Then executing said timing instructions causes said computer, 73, totransmit said local-cable-enabling-message (#7)

(At each other intermediate transmission station that receives andexecutes the information of said Prepare-To-Retransmit-WSW message,executing said information causes said station to transmit its ownstation specific Specific-WSW-Enabling-message on its own stationspecific master cable control channel, thereby enabling its subscriberstations that receive and execute the information of said message toreceive the “Wall Street Week” retransmission of said intermediatetransmission station in a fashion that differs from intermediate stationto intermediate station. For example, whereas the intermediate stationof FIG. 6 encrypts the audio of said transmission using cipher key Ca,another intermediate transmission station can use a different cipherkey—for example, Ta—and cause its selected subscriber stations todecrypt said audio properly by means of the information of its ownstation specific Specific-WSW-Enabling-message.)

Receiving said local-cable-enabling-message (#7) at the station of FIG.7 causes the apparatus of said station to function in precisely thefashion of example #7. Receiving said message causes the decoder, 30, ofsignal processor, 200, to detect and transfer said message to thecontroller, 20. Receiving said message causes said controller, 20, toexecute said enable-CC13 instructions; to sample selected SPAMinformation of the station of FIG. 7 and determine that unauthorizedtampering has not occurred; to cause selected apparatus of saidstation—cable converter box, 201, matrix switch, 258, and a decryptor,107 (that exists at said station, that receives its input from andtransfers its output to matrix switch, 258, and is controlled bycontroller, 20, but that is not shown in FIG. 7)—to receive thetransmission of cable channel 13; to cause said selected decryptor, 107,to decrypt the audio portion of said transmission using selected cipheralgorithm and key information; to cause selected apparatus of signalprocessor, 200, to commence waiting to receive further enablinginformation; to execute said enable-WSW instructions; and to placeinstances of said enable-WSW-programming information at particularcontrolled-function-invoking information memory locations at thecontroller, 39, of decoder, 30, and at controller, 20. And completingsaid enable-WSW instructions causes controller, 20, to initiate a meterrecord at buffer/comparator, 14, that documents the decryption of thecable audio transmission at said station.

(Simultaneously, other subscriber stations [i.e., ultimate receiverstations] of the field distribution system, 93, of the intermediatetransmission station of FIG. 6 sample selected SPAM information in theirsubscriber station specific fashions and determine whether unauthorizedtampering has occurred and decrypt the audio portion of saidtransmission or respond in the fashions described above in example #7 ifthey determine that unauthorized tampering has occurred. Meanwhile, atthe field distribution systems, 93, of other intermediate transmissionstations, other subscriber stations each receive the station specificSelect-WSW-Program-Unit SPAM messages of their specific intermediatestation, tune to an intermediate station specific transmission channel[eg. cable channel 11 rather than 13] in an intermediate stationspecific fashion [eg. by decrypting with cipher key Ta rather than Ca]and even at an intermediate station specific time [eg. at 9:30 PM ratherthan 8:30 PM] to receive said “Wall Street Week” program, sampleselected subscriber station specific SPAM information in theirsubscriber station specific fashions, determine whether unauthorizedtampering has occurred, and respond station specifically in the fashionsdescribed above.)

Subsequently, but still in the interval between said commence-enablingtime and said 8:30 PM time, said program originating studio thatoriginates the “Wall Street Week” transmission embeds and transmits the1st-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7) SPAM message.

Transmitting said message causes said message to be detected at thesignal processor, 200, of the station of FIG. 7 and inputted to thecontroller, 20, and causes controller, 20, to load and execute the1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions in said message.

Executing said 1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions causescontroller, 20, in the predetermined fashion of said instructions (whichfashion that is not described in example #7 above), to causemicrocomputer, 205, to authorize reception of said “Wall Street Week”program so-called “pay-per-view” basis. Automatically, under control ofsaid instructions, controller, 20, inputs to microcomputer, 205, aparticular check-station-specific-selection-and-display instruction andparticular reception-of-WSW-costs-20-cents information (whichinstruction and information is preprogrammed in said1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions). Receiving said instructionand said information causes microcomputer, 205, to execute particularpreprogrammed instructions and, in a predetermined fashion, to determinethat the aforementionedstation-specific-television-program-selection-and-display instructionsat said microcomputer, 205, include particular information that thesubscriber of said station is willing pay up to a certainlimit—twenty-five cents—to receive said program. So determining, undercontrol of said instructions, causes microcomputer, 205, to input aparticular preprogrammed pay-per-view-authorizing instruction to saidcontroller, 20.

Receiving said instruction causes controller, 20, under control of said1st-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions, to perform a first stage ofdecrypting the video information of the “Wall Street Week” programtransmission in precisely the fashion described in example #7.

(Executing the information of said 1st-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7)message causes the microcomputers, 205, of selected other stations thatreceive said message also to authorize so-called “pay-per-view”reception of said “Wall Street Week” program. At said stations thatauthorize reception, apparatus receive and process subsequentinformation of the “Wall Street Week” transmission just as at thestation of FIG. 7. However, at certain other stations that receive andprocess said message the preprogrammedstation-specific-television-program-selection-and-display instructionsat the microcomputers, 205, do not include information that thesubscribers of said last named stations are willing pay to receive saidprogram. Executing the information of said message at said last namedstations causes the microcomputers, 205, of said stations to identifyand execute particular station-specific-alternate-handling ones of saidstation-specific-television-program-selection-and-display instructions.Executing said ones causes each station in its preprogrammed fashion tohandle subsequent information of said transmission. Under control oftheir particular station-specific-alternate-handling instructions,selected ones of said certain other stations discard all subsequentinformation of said transmission by causing their station apparatus tocease receiving and decrypting the information of said transmission.Under control of their particular station-specific-alternate-handlinginstructions, selected others of said certain other stations causeapparatus of their specific stations to record the information of saidtransmission—albeit, the encrypted information—thereby enabling asubscriber at each of said specific stations individually and manuallyto so-called “play back” the recorded encrypted information of saidtransmission and input a pay-per-view-authorizing instruction to acontroller, 20, at his specific station, thereby causing saidcontroller, 20, and other apparatus of the station of said subscriber[under control of said controller, 20] at a delayed time to decrypt,process, and display the information of said transmission in the fashionof the apparatus of the station of FIG. 7 [because in the preferredembodiment, the information of said 1st-WSW-program-enabling-message(#7) SPAM message embedded and transmitted more than once in saidtransmission in a fashion that enables a video recorder/player, 217, torecord at least one full instance of an end of file signal followed bysaid information at every one of said certain other stations]. Executingsaid station-specific-alternate-handling instructions at said certainother stations causes a controller, 20, at each of said stations toswitch power on to a video recorder/player, 217, at each of saidstations; to cause a matrix switch, 258, at each of said station tocommence transferring the output of the decryptor, 107, of said stationto said recorder/player, 217; and to cause said recorder/player, 217, tocommence recording the inputted transmission.)

Subsequently, but still before said 8:30 PM time, the programoriginating studio that originates the “Wall Street Week” transmissionembeds and transmits the 1st-WSW-decryption-check (#7), the eight SPAMmessages each of which is called a “2nd-WSW-program-enabling-message(#7)”, and the 2nd-WSW-decryption-check (#7) just as in example #7.

Up to a particular point, receiving each of said messages causes theapparatus of the station of FIG. 7 (and all other subscriber stationsthat receive said messages—whether so-called “live” or so-called “timedelayed”) to function just as receiving said messages causes theapparatus of the station of FIG. 4 in example #7 to function. Said pointoccurs after controller, 20, executes the aforementioned additional2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions which, at the station of FIG.4, cause the apparatus of said station to commence transferring thedecrypted television information of the “Wall Street Week” program tomicrocomputer, 205, and monitor, 202M.

Executing said additional 2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions atthe station of FIG. 7 causes controller, 20, first to cause theapparatus of said station to commence transferring the decryptedtelevision information of the “Wall Street Week” program transmission todecoder, 203, and microcomputer, 205. Automatically, controller, 20,causes matrix switch, 258, to cease inputting the decrypted videoinformation of said transmission to signal processor, 200, (at switch,1), and to commence transferring said video information (which isinputted to matrix switch, 258, from said decryptor, 231) to divider, 4,thereby causing divider, 4, to transfer said decrypted video informationto microcomputer, 205, and to decoder, 203. Automatically, controller,20, causes decoder, 203, to discard any previously received SPAMinformation and to commence detecting and processing SPAM information inthe inputted decrypted video information in the fashion described above.In so doing, controller, 20, causes decoder, 203, to detect and processany embedded SPAM information of the transmission of the programoriginating station that originates said “Wall Street Week” program andcombines the microcomputer, 205, of the station of FIG. 7 to thecomputer system of the program originating station that originates said“Wall Street Week” program.

(Simultaneously, the SPAM message information embedded and transmittedat said originating station cause microcomputers, 205, at other stationsto be combined to said computer system in the same fashion.)

Thereafter, said additional 2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructionsaffect the apparatus of the station of FIG. 7 differently from thestation of FIG. 4. At the station of FIG. 4 where the televisionprogramming output transmission of the PC MicroKey System ofmicrocomputer, 205, is inputted directly to TV monitor, 202M. Bycontrast, at the station of FIG. 7, the television programming outputtransmission of microcomputer, 205, is inputted to matrix switch, 258.Furthermore, the station of FIG. 7 is preprogrammed with theaforementioned station-specific-television-program-selection-and-displayinstructions.

At the station of FIG. 7, executing said additional2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions causes controller, 20,thereafter to cause the apparatus of said station to determine thatmonitor, 202M, is not on and operating. Automatically, controller, 20,causes control processor, 20A, in the fashion described above, toestablish a control information communications link, via matrix switch,with a SPAM TV signal decoder, 145, at monitor, 202M, that controlsmonitor, 202M. Automatically, controller, 20, transmits particularinformation to said decoder, 145, that causes said decoder, 145, todetermine, in a predetermined fashion, that power is not on to monitor,202M, and to respond by transmitting particular 202M-is-not-oninformation to controller, 20, via said link.

The fact that monitor, 202M, is not on signifies that the subscriber-ofthe station of FIG. 7 is not viewing television information at monitor,202M, and suggests that said subscriber may not even be present at saidstation.

Receiving said 202M-is-not-on information causes controller, 20, undercontrol of said additional 2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions, tocause microcomputer, 205, to input particular preprogrammed instructionsto said controller, 20, which instructions reflect the specific fashionin which said subscribe wants any given selected program to be selectedand displayed. Automatically, controller, 20, inputs a particularchoose-mode-of-selection-and-display instruction and said 202M-is-not-oninformation to microcomputer, 205, and receiving said instruction andsaid information causes microcomputer, 205, in a predetermined fashion,to process the aforementionedstation-specific-television-program-selection-and-display instructions.Automatically, under control of said instructions, microcomputer, 205,inputs to controller, 20, particular preprogrammeddisplay-at-202M-and-record-at-217 instructions.

Receiving said display-at-202M-and-record-at-217 instructions causescontroller, 20, to switch power on to monitor, 202M, and commencetransferring the television output transmission of microcomputer, 205,to said monitor, 202M; to switch power on to video recorder/player, 217,(which has capacity to receive and record the information of an audioand a composite video transmission); to commence transferring thetelevision output transmission of microcomputer, 205, to saidrecorder/player, 217; and to cause said recorder/player, 217, to recordsaid transmission. Automatically, controller, 20, inputs a particularinstruction to decoder, 145, via said communications link, that causesdecoder, 145, to switch power on to monitor, 202M, and to tune monitor,202M, in a predetermined fashion. Automatically, controller, 20, causesmatrix switch, 258, to transfer the decrypted audio information inputtedfrom decryptor, 107, to monitor, 202M, and also to recorder/player, 217.Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrix switch, 258, to transferthe video information inputted from microcomputer, 205, to monitor,202M, and also to recorder/player, 217. Automatically, controller, 20,causes control processor, 20A, to establish a control informationcommunications link, via matrix switch, 259, with a SPAM TV signaldecoder, 218, at recorder/player, 217, that controls recorder/player,217, and transmits particular information to said decoder, 218, thatcauses said decoder, 218, to switch power on to recorder/player, 217,and to cause recorder/player, 217, to record the inputted audio andvideo information (including any SPAM message information embedded insaid audio and video information). In so doing, controller, 20, causesmonitor, 202M, to receive the decrypted video and audio information ofthe “Wall Street Week” program, to display the video image of saidinformation, and to emit sound in accordance with said audio informationand causes recorder/player, 217, to record said information of the “WallStreet Week” program.

(Simultaneously, the SPAM message information embedded and transmittedat said program originating station and thestation-specific-television-program-selection-and-display instructionsof other stations cause the apparatus of said stations to handle theprogramming transmitted by said originating station in station specificfashions. Some stations, where monitors, 202M, are determined to be off,may respond by causing receiver apparatus to cease receiving thetransmission of said programming, thereby discarding all information ofsaid “Wall Street Week” program. At other stations that lackmicrocomputers, 205, the controllers, 20, operating under control ofsaid additional 2nd-stage-enable-WSW-program instructions, cause theapparatus of said stations to transfer the decrypted video informationoutputted by decryptors, 231, directly to monitors, 202M, therebycausing said monitors, 202M, to display the conventional televisioninformation of said program [eg. FIG. 1B] without any combined, locallygenerated information [eg. FIG. 1A].)

In due course, at said 8:30 PM time, said program originating studiocommences transmitting the programming information of said “Wall StreetWeek” program, thereby causing the apparatus of the station of FIG. 7(and of other correctly regulated and connected stations) to commencefunctioning in the fashions described above in “One Combined Medium” andin examples #1, #2, #3, and #4.

And in the fashions described above, receiving each SPAM message thatcauses decrypting causes the station of FIG. 7 (and causes otherstations) to retain and process meter information. And receiving at anySPAM decoder of said station any SPAM message that containsmeter-monitor information causes the apparatus of said station (andcauses apparatus at other stations that are preprogrammed to collectmonitor information) to retain and process monitor information.

Controlling Computer-Based Combined Media Operations

So far in this specification has treated the process of controllingcombined medium operations as if the process of generating the computerinformation of any given computer based combining—for example, the FIG.1A information of the FIG. 1C combining—begins with the embedding, at aprogram originating studio, and transmitting of instructions that causesubscriber station microcomputers, 205, to generate said computerinformation. (In the case of said FIG. 1A information, thisspecification has, so far, treated the process of generating theparticular information of said FIG. 1A as if said process begins withthe embedding and transmitting of the first message of the “Wall StreetWeek” example.)

In actuality, the process of controlling computer-based combined mediaoperations is continuous and involves systematic inputting andmaintaining of up-to-date user specific data at each subscriber station.(For example, only at subscriber stations where user specific stock datais maintained systematically and up-to-date can the program instructionset of the first message of the “Wall Street Week” example generate FIG.1A images that actually show the performance of the portfolios of thesubscribers of said stations.)

Of course, individual subscribers can, themselves, maintain their datasystematically and up-to-date. And at stations where subscribers so do,control computer-based of combined medium operations can, indeed, beginwith the embedding, at a program originating studio, and transmitting ofinstructions that cause subscriber station microcomputers, 205, togenerate the computer information of a given computer based combining.

However, the present invention provides means and methods forsystematically inputting and maintaining user specific data atsubscriber stations.

Microcomputer, 205, has an installed modem; receives information that istransmitted by means of telephone or data communications network, 262;is preprogrammed to answer telephone calls automatically, in a fashionwell known in the art; and is preprogrammed to process data received viasaid network, 262. Each time the stockbroker who represents thesubscriber of the station of microcomputer, 205, executes a transaction(that is, buys or sells stocks) for said subscriber's account, acomputer at said broker's office station telephones microcomputer, 205;inputs data of the transaction (which data includes, for example, theidentity of the company whose shares were traded, the number of sharesbought or sold, and whether the transaction was a buy or a sale); andcauses microcomputer, 205, to updates its stock portfolio records in apredetermined fashion (for example, by adding to said records data ofshares bought and removing data of shares sold). In so doing, saidoffice station computer causes an up-to-date record of the identity ofthe stocks and number of shares in the subscriber portfolioautomatically to exist at microcomputer, 205. (While a time lag mayexist between the actual purchase or sale and the updating atmicrocomputer, 205, said updating always occurs before 4:30 PM on theday of sale or purchase.)

Each weekday after 4:30 PM, a remote stock-price-data-transmissionstation transmits all closing stock price data applicable that day andcauses apparatus at each subscriber station, in a predetermined fashion,to select and record at the microcomputer, 205, of said station theparticular closing price datum or data that apply to the particularstock or stocks of the preprogrammed portfolio of said computer. (Saidremote station transmits said closing stock price data and causesspecific subscriber stations to select and process their specificinformation of interest in the fashion in which remote news-service-Astation transmitted the AT&T news item and caused selected stations toselect and process, in their specific fashions, the information of saiditem.) Alternatively, microcomputer, 205, is caused in a predeterminedfashion (for example, by a SPAM message a given transmission monitoredby signal processor, 200, in any of the above described fashions)automatically to telephone a remote data service computer, by means ofnetwork, 262, in a fashion well known in the art, and to cause saidremote computer to select and transmit the particular closing pricedatum or data of the stock or stocks of the portfolio of saidmicrocomputer, 205, thereby causing said microcomputer, 205, to recordsaid datum or data in a predetermined fashion.

In this fashion, by a particular time (for example, 8:00 PM) on aparticular Friday evening, the microcomputer, 205, of the station ofFIG. 7 (and microcomputers, 205, similarly at each of a large pluralityof other subscriber stations) has been updated and contains all relevantstock information.

Subsequently, but before the aforementioned 8:30 PM time (which is 8:30PM, Eastern Standard Time on said Friday evening and is the time whenso-called “live” transmission of the “Wall Street Week” programcommences), the program originating studio that originates transmissionof the “Wall Street Week” program transmits the aforementionedPrepare-To-Retransmit-WSW message, 1st-WSW-program-enabling-message(#7), 1st-WSW-decryption-check (#7), eight SPAM messages each of whichis called a “2nd-WSW-program-enabling-message (#7)”, and2nd-WSW-decryption-check (#7). In so doing, said studio causes aplurality of intermediate transmission stations that are preprogrammedand function in the fashion of the station of FIG. 6 and a plurality ofsubscriber stations that are preprogrammed and function in the fashionof the station of FIGS. 7 (and 7C) to cause apparatus at each of saidsubscriber stations to interconnect, receive information of saidtransmission, decrypt said information, and prepare to display (orotherwise output) information of said “Wall Street Week” program in thefashions of example #7 and of the above description called “MORE ONEXAMPLE #7”.

(To accomplish all this has required only that the subscriber ofmicrocomputer, 205, [and other subscribers at other stations] cause theinstallation and connection of the apparatus shown in the figures ofthis submission, especially FIGS. 7 (and 7C); caused his microcomputer,205, to be preprogrammed as described above; and preinformedmicrocomputer, 205, of his wish to view said “Wall Street Week” programby causing the aforementioned select-WSW information to be recorded atsaid microcomputer, 205.)

Then the combined medium combining process described above in “OneCombined Medium” and in examples #1, #2, #3, #4, etc. commences. And theFIG. 1C combining is displayed.

But the combining of FIG. 1C is just part of a larger process.

When the “Wall Street Week” transmission begins at 8:30 PM on a Fridayevening, the program instruction set in the first message of the “WallStreet Week” example instructs microcomputer, 205, to generate not onebut a plurality overlays. The combining of FIG. 1C is merely the first.

Computer operations take time and some computers are slower than others.Partly this is a question of hardware; a so-called eight bitmicroprocessor is generally slower performing a given operation than asixteen bit processor for reasons that are well known in the art. Buteven with precisely the same hardware and systems software, twocomputers can take different times to complete a given operation if onlybecause they contain different data. For example, it takes longer tocalculate the value of a portfolio containing one thousand stocks than aportfolio of one. Furthermore, it is undesirable to separate computeroperations merely because they result in the generation of separateoverlays because such separation may result in unnecessary duplicationof calculations. For example, the FIG. 1C display of user specificoverall stock portfolio performance could be followed by second andthird displays that analyze portions of the subscriber's portfolio—eg.,the portion invested in New York Stock Exchange listed stocks incomparison to the so-called “NYSE” index and the portion invested inso-called “over-the-counter” stocks in comparison to the so-called“NASDAQ” index. In order to calculate the value of the overallportfolio, it is necessary to calculate the value of these portions. Torequire that the values of the portions be recalculated for subsequentoverlays would be inefficient.

In computer-based combined medium communications, the amount ofinformation that a given system can convey is dependent on theefficiency of the employment of program instruction sets and combiningsynch commands.

In the preferred embodiment, unlike conventional television whereinformation is presented strictly in the sequence of its transmission,the transmission and execution of program instruction set informationfor second (or subsequent) overlays can precede the transmission of thecombining synch command of first overlays and the time of first overlayceasings. To minimize waiting time, the controllers, 39, of decoders,203, (or analogous controllers, 44 or 47, of analogous radio decoders ofFIG. 2C of other decoders of FIG. 2D that execute SPAM messageinformation at a microcomputer, 205) combining synch commands that causecombining or the ceasing of combining (as, for example, the commands ofthe second and third messages of the “Wall Street Week” example) areprocessed as interrupts to the CPUs of microcomputers, 205; programinstruction sets, once executed, instruct microcomputers, 205, to waitonly when further processing, under the control of the instructions ofsaid sets, would entail overwriting RAM information whose overlay timeor processing time has not yet ended. And to prevent microcomputers,205, that fall behind from displaying incomplete overlays, any givenSPAM message that causes a combining specifies the identity of theparticular overlay information whose combining it causes and causes acombining only at subscriber station where information exists of thecompletion of the identified overlay. For example, receiving the secondmessage of the “Wall Street Week” program causes the combining of FIG.1A information and FIG. 1B information only at stations whereinformation at the aforementioned SPAM-first-precondition andSPAM-second-precondition register memories matches selected informationof the meter-monitor segment of said message.

Finally, in order to cause microcomputers, 205, that fall behind tocatch up, a particular fashion exists in the preferred embodiment forrestoring efficient operations. Microcomputers, 205, that fall behindare caused to jump over and avoid executing instructions that controlthe generating of overlay information (such as FIG. 1A) whose overlaytime (that is, combining time) has passed. In a fashion well known inthe art, selected so-called “lines of code” of program instruction setsare preprogrammed with label information that identifies each one ofsaid line, and the instructions of said set periodically comparepreprogrammed information of said set to information at particularoverlay-target RAM memory in order to control efficient operation in afashion described more fully below. When a combining fails to occur atany given station because information of the completion of an identifiedoverlay does not exist at said station, the controller, 203, of saidstation automatically causes the microcomputer, 205, to so-called“jump”, in a jump fashion well known in the art, to that selected one ofsaid lines of code where the instructions of said program instructionset commence causing the generation of the information of thatparticular overlay that is next to be combined. For example, at thestart of the “Wall Street Week” example, information of “00000000”exists at the SPAM-second-precondition register memories of thedecoders, 203, of every subscriber station. The overlay of FIG. 1A isthe first overlay of the “Wall Street Week” program, and the informationof the meter-monitor field of the second message of said exampleidentifies said overlay with binary information of “00000001”. The nextoverlay of said program, which is the second overlay, is identified withinformation of “00000010”. Receiving said second message causes thedecoders, 203, at each subscriber station to compare information at saidSPAM-second-precondition register memories to the “00000001” informationof the overlay number field of said message. At those stations that havecompleted generating at RAM the information of said first overlay (eg.,FIG. 1A), the instructions of the program instruction set of saidexample have caused information of “00000001” to be placed at saidSPAM-second-precondition memories. At said stations, matches result andcause the combining of locally generated overlay information (eg., FIG.1A) with the transmitted FIG. 1B information and cause the display ofcombined medium information (eg., FIG. 1C). At other stations that havenot completed generating at RAM the information of said first overlay(eg., FIG. 1A), matches do not result, causing the controllers, 39, ofthe decoders, 203, of said stations to execute the aforementionedparticular second-condition-test-failed instructions of theaforementioned conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions. Executing saidsecond-condition-test-failed instructions causes each of saidcontrollers, 39, to compute a particular overlay-target number; tointerrupt the operation of the CPU of the microcomputer, 205, of itsstation; to cause said CPU to place information of said overlay-targetnumber at particular overlay-target RAM memory; to cause said CPU toexecute a so-called “machine language jump” to the particular so-called“offset address” of the information at RAM of said program instructionset that is associated, in the predetermined fashion of the instructionsof said set, with said overlay-target number; and to cause saidmicrocomputer, 205, to continue executing the instructions of said setfrom the instruction at said address. In so doing, said microcomputer,205, can skip over and avoid executing instructions whose overlay timehas passed.

The particular overlay-target number that any given controller, 39,calculates, under control of said second-condition-test-failedinstructions, is a function of the overlay number information of theSPAM message that invokes said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructionsand is also a function of the history of the efficiency of the operationof the microcomputer, 205, of the subscriber station of said controller,39, at the time when said instructions are invoked. In the case thesecond message of the “Wall Street Week” example, the overlay that saidmessage causes to be combined is the first overlay generated undercontrol of the program instruction set that generates said overlay.Accordingly, the information recorded, in a predetermined fashion, atparticular history-of-efficiency memory at each controller, 39, of adecoder, 203, of said other stations (that have not completed generatingthe information of said first overlay at the time of receiving saidsecond message) is “00000000” and indicates that said microcomputer,205, has not failed to generate any overlay, generated under control ofsaid set, on time. Thus when receiving said second message at said otherstations causes the execution of said second-condition-test-failedinstructions, said instructions cause said controllers, 39, to incrementby one the overlay number information of said message, therebygenerating overlay-target information of “00000010”; to cause themicrocomputers, 205, of said stations to place information of said“00000010” at said overlay-target RAM memory; to cause saidmicrocomputers, 205, to jump to and continue executing the instructionsof said program instruction set at the instruction at the particularpreprogrammed “offset address” of the particular line of code of saidset that is identified by the particular label associated, in apredetermined fashion, with said “00000010”; and to increment by one theinformation at said history-of-efficiency memory, thereby generatinghistory-of-efficiency information of “00000001” which indicates thatsaid microcomputer, 205, has failed to generate one overlay, generatedunder control of said set, on time. Thereafter, whenever receiving aSPAM message of said “Wall Street Week” program causes a controller, 39,of said other stations to execute said second-condition-test-failedinstructions, said instructions cause said controller, 39, to computeits overlay-target number by incrementing the overlay number informationof said message by more than one and to cause the microcomputer, 205, ofits station to restore efficiency by skipping over instructions thatcause the generation of more than one overlay (including one or moreoverlays whose overlay time has not yet come). As said microcomputer,205, generates the information of the overlay that is identified by saidoverlay-target number, the instructions of said set cause saidmicrocomputer, 205, in a predetermined fashion that involves comparingpreprogrammed particular overlay-being-generated information of said setto information at said overlay-target RAM memory, to identify particularinstructions of said set that control just the generation of said one ormore overlays whose overlay time has not yet come and to jump over andavoid executing said instructions, thereby executing only thoseinstructions that control generation of information of said identifiedoverlay (or of overlays whose overlay time follows the overlay time ofsaid identified overlay). In so doing, said microcomputer, 205, can skipover and avoid executing selected instructions whose overlay time hasnot passed in order to catch up and recommence combining at an overlaytime that is after the overlay time of the overlay or overlays whosegeneration is controlled by said selected instructions.

Thus transmitting to a plurality of subscriber stations any given SPAMmessage that invokes said conditional-overlay-at-205 instructions causesapparatus at selected ones of said stations to combine locally generatedoverlay information (eg., FIG. 1A) with transmitted information (eg.,FIG. 1B) and to cause the display of combined medium information (eg.,FIG. 1C) and causes apparatus at selected other stations to generateinformation of overlays whose combining is not caused by receiving saidmessage (because the overlay times of said overlays is subsequent to theoverlay time of said locally generated overlay information [eg., FIG.1A] whose combining is caused by said message). Furthermore,transmitting said messages causes the apparatus at said selected otherstations to generate information of overlays in such a way that eachstation generates information of an overlay that has a specific overlaytime and the specific overlay time of the overlays generated at specificstation varies from station to station and is different at differentstations.

Transmitting and Receiving Program Instruction Sets

In television, the normal transmission location is in the verticalinterval of the television transmission. SPAM signals are not normallytransmitted in the visible portion of the television picture because theinformation of said signals can be seen by viewers (often as so-called“snow”). However, the transmission capacity of the vertical interval islimited.

In computer-based combined medium communications, the amount of locallygenerated information that any given system can display (or otherwiseoutput) to subscribers is dependent on maximizing the volume of programinstruction set instructions that said system can transmit andmaximizing the time interval between the transmission (more precisely,the execution) of the instructions of any given program instruction setand the overlay times of the individual locally generated overlays whosegeneration said instructions cause. The greater the volume of programinstruction set information that is transmitted in any given combinedmedium program, the greater is the amount of overlay information can begenerated at subscriber stations. And the earlier said information istransmitted in said program, the greater is the efficiency with whichgenerating is controlled at subscriber stations (because the longestpossible time intervals can separate the commencement of the generatingof the information of individual overlays and the individual overlaytimes of said overlays).

In the preferred embodiment, the program instruction set information ofany given combined medium program is transmitted as soon as possibleafter commencement of said program, and the present invention includesmeans and methods to maximize the transmission of program instructionset information at the start of combined medium programs. (As relatedabove, in the preferred embodiment, all SPAM commands are transmitted inthe normal transmission location of any given transmission.)

In the video/computer combined medium, capacity is found by transmittingsaid sets in portions of the television picture that are covered bylocally generated overlays (which in digital television transmissionscan include frames of transmitted video that are “frozen” afterreception in fashions well known in the art). One controlled functionthat is preprogrammed at the controllers, 39, of the decoders, 203, ofsubscriber stations and that is caused to be executed by receiving aSPAM message containing expand-to-full-field-search execution segmentinformation is a function whose instructions cause said controller, 39,to cause the line receivers, 33, of said decoders, 203, to commencedetecting digital information in every frame of its received videoinformation from the first detectable portion of line of said frame tothe last detectable portion of the last line of said frame. A secondcontrolled function that is preprogrammed at said controllers, 39, andthat is caused to be executed by receiving a SPAM message containingresume-normal-location-search execution segment information is afunction whose instructions cause said controller, 39, to cause saidline receivers, 33, to commence detecting digital information in thenormal transmission location of every frame of its received videoinformation.

An example illustrates transmitting program instruction set informationin a portion of the television picture that is normally visible but thatis temporarily covered by an overlay. In the example, the programoriginating studio that originates a given program causes eachsubscriber station to generate information of the so-called “titles” ofsaid program (that is, the textual information listing the title saidprogram, the names of the cast and crew members, etc.), causes saidlocally generated information to overlay and obscure completely thetransmitted video information of said program, and transmits programinstruction set information in the full field video of the transmissionso obscured (that is, in every frame of the transmitted videoinformation from the first detectable portion of line 20 of said frameto the last detectable portion of the last line of said frame).

The decoder, 203, of the station of FIGS. 7 and 7C (and the decoder,203, of every other subscriber station tuned to said program) ispreprogrammed to respond to SPAM messages containingexpand-to-full-field-search execution segment information andresume-normal-location-search information and responsively to alterautomatically the portions of its received video information that aresearched for embedded digital information.

At the start of the conventional television information of said program,said program originating studio embeds a SPAM message that contains theexecution segment information that is identical to the execution segmentinformation of the first message of the “Wall Street Week” example andinformation segment information of a particular set-to-color programinstruction set. Receiving said message causes apparatus at eachstation, in the fashions described above, to execute the information ofsaid set; to clear the video RAM of the microcomputer, 205, of saidstation; and to set all of said RAM, in a fashion well known in the art,to an opaque background color such as light blue.

Next said program originating studio embeds a SPAM message that containsthe execution segment information that is identical to the executionsegment information of the second message of the “Wall Street Week”example. Receiving said message causes said apparatus to combine theoverlay information of said video RAM and the transmitted video and tocontinue executing the instructions of said first set. In so doing, saidapparatus causes said transmitted video to be covered and obscuredcompletely by said opaque background color.

Then said studio embeds a SPAM message that contains one instance ofsaid expand-to-full-field-search execution segment information.Receiving said message causes apparatus at each station to cause theline receiver, 33, of the decoder, 203, of said station to commencedetecting digital information in every frame of its received videoinformation from the first detectable portion of line 20 of said frameto the last detectable portion of the last line of said frame.

Then said studio embeds in the full field video and transmits a SPAMmessage that contains said execute-at-205 execution segment informationand information segment information of a particulartitles-of-this-program program instruction set. Receiving said messagecauses apparatus at each station to execute the information of said setat the microcomputer, 205, of said station. So executing saidinformation causes said microcomputer, 205, to commence generating atsaid RAM, in a fashion well known in the art, the image information of aso-called “crawl” of said titles. In so doing, said studio causes saidmicrocomputer, 205, to display the information of said titles at themonitor, 202M, of said station. (Simultaneously, a microcomputer, 205,at every other subscriber station executes the same information anddisplays the same titles, and said studio transmits audio information ofappropriate so-called “program theme music,” causing apparatus at eachstation to emit the sound of said music.)

Then said studio embeds in the full field video and transmits aparticular program-instruction-set-of-this-program SPAM message thatcontains particular record-at-256 execution segment information andinformation segment information of a particulargenerate-overlays-of-this-program program instruction set.

Receiving said message causes apparatus at each station to transfer theinformation of said message to the computer memory unit, 256, of saidstation (which is shown in FIG. 7 and is, for the purposes of thisexample, a floppy disk drive of microcomputer, 205, that is labelleddrive “C:” by said microcomputer, 205, and that is capable of receivingand recording information independently of said microcomputer, 205), andreceiving said message causes said unit, 256, to record said programinstruction set. Automatically, the controller, 39, of said decoder,203, causes the control processor, 20A, of said station to establish acontrol information communication link, via matrix switch, 259, with thecontroller, 20, of the signal processor, 200; transmits particularinstructions to said controller, 20, that cause said controller, 20, toestablish a programming information communication link, via matrixswitch, 258, with said computer memory unit, 256; and transmits saidmessage, via said matrix switch, 258, to a SPAM decoder, 256A, at saidunit, 256. Automatically, said decoder, 256A, receives said message;invokes particular preprogrammed controlled function instructions;causes said unit, 256, to record inputted information in a particularfile, “OVERLAYS.EXE”; and inputs the information of said programinstruction set to said unit, 256, in the fashion that decoder, 203,inputs the information of the information segment of the first messageof the “Wall Street Week” example to microcomputer, 205, thereby causingsaid unit, 256, to record the information of said set in said file.(Simultaneously, other computer memory units, 256, that are labelleddrive “C:” of the microcomputers, 205, of other stations record theinformation of said set as “OVERLAYS.EXE”.)

Then said studio embeds a SPAM message that contains one instance ofsaid resume-normal-location-search execution segment information.Receiving said message causes apparatus at each station to cause theline receiver, 33, of the decoder, 203, of said station to commencedetecting digital information in just the normal transmission locationof every frame of its received video information.

Then said studio commences transmitting conventional television videoimage information and embeds and transmits a SPAM message that that isidentical to the third message of the “Wall Street Week” example.Receiving said message causes apparatus of said station (and similarapparatus at every other station) to cease combining the overlayinformation of said video RAM and the transmitted video and to cause thedisplay of only the transmitted video information at said monitor, 202M.In so doing, said studio causes each station to cease displaying thelocally generated information of said “titles” and to commencedisplaying the information of said conventional television video image.

Then said studio embeds a SPAM message that contains execution segmentinformation that is identical to the execution segment information ofthe first message of the “Wall Street Week” example and informationsegment information of a particular “C:OVERLAYS”. Receiving said messagecauses apparatus at each station to input the information of said“C:OVERLAYS” to the microcomputer, 205, of said station and execute saidinformation. Executing said information causes said microcomputer, 205,to load from its C: drive (which is said unit, 256) the information ofsaid. OVERLAYS.EXE file and execute the information so loaded as amachine language job.

In this fashion, a program originating studio can transmit informationof a program instruction set to a multiplicity of subscriber stations inthe full field video of its video transmission and execute theinformation so transmitted at the microcomputer, 205, of each of saidstations as a machine language job without having a viewer of anystation view any information of said set at a monitor, 202M.

(To minimize the risk that program instruction sets may become separatedfrom their associated television programming, said sets are normallyembedded in their associated television transmissions. But it is not anabsolute requirement of the preferred embodiment that all programinstruction sets be so embedded. If the volume of program instructionset information that a given programming transmission must transmitexceeds the transmission capacity of said transmission [eg., if theaudience includes viewers who do not have overlay capacity and would see“snow” were set information transmitted in portions of the transmissionobscured by overlays], at the proper time transmission stations cantransmit said set information outside the conventional transmission [aprogram originating studio may transmit said set information, forexample, in a satellite side lobe of the transponder transmissiontransmitting the conventional transmission, and a cable head endintermediate transmission station transmits it in a separate televisionchannel or in a transmission in a multiplexed FM frequency spectrumtransmission].)

Audio Overlays and Other Overlays

In the present invention, many combinings are caused and controlledbesides combinings of video overlay information (such as FIG. 1A) andtransmitted television image information (such as FIG. 1B). SPAMmessages cause user specific audio to be combined with transmitted radioor television audio information and emitted as sound at subscriberstations. SPAM messages insert user specific print into broadcast print.And SPAM messages insert user specific data into data communications.

FIG. 7D illustrates a radio/computer combined medium. Radio tuner, 209T,receives a conventional radio broadcast transmission. Divider, 209D,splits the received transmission into two paths and transmits one tomicrocomputer, 205, and the other to radio decoder, 211, (where thereceived transmission is inputted to the radio decoder, 42, component).Decoder, 211, detects embedded digital SPAM information; corrects andconverts said information; processes said information at the controlprocessor, 44J, of its controller, 44; and inputs selected SPAMinformation to microcomputer, 205. Microcomputer, 205, has installedcapacity to receive an inputted audio transmission; capacity to receivecontrol information and SPAM program instruction set information fromsaid controller, 44; to generate and enter information into audio RAM;to combine audio overlay programming, by means of audio synthesizingtechniques and overlay techniques well known in the art, into thereceived audio transmission; and to transmit the combined audio tospeaker system, 263, which has capacity, well known in the art, toconvert the received audio into sound.

An example illustrates the operation of the subscriber station of FIGS.7 and 7D.

A radio station transmits radio programming at 9:00 PM, immediatelyfollowing the time at which said “Wall Street Week” program ends. Ateach subscriber station, the stock portfolio and closing price data arerecorded precisely as at the start of said “Wall Street Week” program.In the normal transmission location of the radio transmission of saidprogramming, said station embeds and transmits particular SPAMinformation.

At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7D, the transmission of said station isreceived at tuner, 209T, and inputted to divider, 209D, which inputs thereceived radio transmission separately to decoder, 211, and tomicrocomputer, 205. Receiving said transmission causes decoder, 211, todetect the SPAM information embedded in said transmission and to inputinformation of said SPAM information to microcomputer, 205, which ispreprogrammed to process said inputted information. And receiving saidtransmission causes microcomputer, 205, to input said transmission tospeaker system, 263, which is caused thereby to emit sound.

In due course, said radio station embeds a SPAM message that isanalogous to the first message of the “Wall Street Week” example.Receiving information of said message causes microcomputer, 205, torecord at RAM the digital audio images of three statements made andprerecorded by an announcer—“And the value of your portfolio went upmore than the market”, “And your portfolio went up but no faster thanthe market”, and “But the value of your portfolio went down”—to computea first value of the subscriber's portfolio as of the close of businessof the day before said transmission; to compute a second value of thesubscriber's portfolio as of the close of business of the day of saidtransmission; to determine that said first value is greater than saidsecond value; to clear audio RAM in a clearing fashion well known in theart; to select information of the audio image, “But the value of yourportfolio went down”, in a predetermined fashion; and to transfer saidselected information to audio RAM. (Receiving said message causesapparatus of other station to function in their own user specificfashions.)

Simultaneously, the audible audio portion of said radio transmission hasconveys information of the announcer's voice describing the activity ofthe stock market and saying, “Stock prices rose today in heavy trading.”

Then said radio station transmits an interval of silent audio andembeds, at the beginning of said interval, a SPAM command that causesmicrocomputer, 205, to generate the synthesized audio of one instance ofthe image at said audio RAM, to overlay said audio into the transmittedaudio, and to transmit the combined audio to speaker system, 263. In sodoing, said station causes system, 263, to emit the sound of theannouncer's voice saying, “But the value of your stock portfolio wentdown.” (Simultaneously, receiving said message causes apparatus everyother station receiving said radio transmission its one selected one ofsaid three statements.)

After an interval of transmitting silent audio that is longer than thelongest time required to cause any given subscriber station speakersystem, 263, to emit the sound of one of said selected audio imagescompletely, said radio station transmits the audio of said announcer'svoice saying, “Now let us turn to the bond markets.”

(A broadcast print and computer combined medium subscriber stationoperates in a similar fashion and is configured similarly to theapparatus of FIG. 7D [except that said station has no divider apparatusanalogous to divider, 209D]. Said station has receiver apparatusanalogous to radio, 209T; appropriate decoder apparatus that may consistof the digital detector, 46, and controller, 47, of the other decoder ofFIG. 2C; a microcomputer, 205; and a printer, 221, instead of speakersystem, 263. Said receiver apparatus receives the broadcast printtransmission of a broadcast print transmission station and inputs saidtransmission to said decoder apparatus. Said decoder detects digitalinformation in the inputted transmission; processes SPAM information inthe detected digital information; and inputs selected digitalinformation to the CPU of said microcomputer, 205, or transfers otherselected digital information to a buffer at microcomputer, 205, that isan input buffer to said printer, 221. In operation, the apparatus ofsaid station receives, transfers to printer, 221, and prints the digitalinformation of a SPAM message information segment [which informationconveys stock market information and ends with information that isprinted as, “Stock prices rose today in heavy trading,”]. Then thedecoder of said station detects a SPAM end of file signal and asubsequent SPAM message. Receiving said subsequent message causes saiddecoder to input information of said message to said CPU. Receiving saidinformation at said CPU causes microcomputer, 205, to receive digitalinformation of three alternate print messages; to compute a first valueof the portfolio of the subscriber of said station as of the close ofbusiness of the day before said transmission; to compute a second valueof the subscriber's portfolio as of the close of business of the day ofsaid transmission; to determine that said first value is greater thansaid second value; and to transfer to said printer, 221, selecteddigital information of the print message, “but the value of yourportfolio went down.” In so doing, said microcomputer, 205, causes saidprinter, 221, to print the information of said selected print message.Then the decoder of said station detects a SPAM end of file signal and asubsequent SPAM message. Receiving said subsequent message causes saiddecoder to input information of said message to printer, 221, and causesprinter, 221, to initiate a new print paragraph and commence printinginformation of the information segment of said last named message,beginning with, “Now let us turn to the bond markets.” [Simultaneously,the transmission received at said station is also received at othersimilar stations and causes apparatus at said other stations to printgeneral message information with user specific information. For example:

-   -   Stock prices rose today in heavy trading, and the value of your        portfolio went up more than the market.        -   Now let us turn to the bond markets.            is printed at a particular other station where the            computations of a microcomputer, 205, determine that the            value of the portfolio of said last named station's            subscriber increased at a faster rate than the rate of            increase of a particular market average.])

FIG. 7E shows how the audio system of FIG. 7D is added to the videosystem of FIG. 1 to achieve the full combined medium of television andcomputers. To the apparatus of FIG. 1, a divider, 202D, is added in theaudio transmission path which splits the transmission into two paths andtransmits one to the appropriate audio processing apparatus of TVdecoder, 203, and the other to microcomputer, 205, at particularapparatus, well known in the art, that has capacity for combiningcomputer synthesized audio into the transmitted audio and that inputsits received audio information to monitor, 202M. Microcomputer, 205, hasaudio RAM and audio synthesizing and combining capacities. Usingprecisely the same methods whereby the apparatus of FIG. 7D is caused toinput audio information (including user specific audio information) tospeaker system, 263, (causing said system, 263, to emit the sound of thevoice of the radio announcer as described above), the apparatus of thestation of FIG. 7E can be caused to input audio information (includinguser specific audio information) to the speaker of monitor, 202M,(causing said speaker to emit the sound of the voice of an announcermaking the above audio statements). The only difference between thesystems of FIGS. 7D and 7E is that SPAM information of the audio of FIG.7E is transmitted, in the preferred embodiment, in the normaltransmission location of television (which means that said informationis embedded in the video rather than the audio).

Automating U. R. Stations . . . Examples #9 and #10 ContinuedCoordinating Computers, Television, and Print

FIG. 7F illustrates a method for generating and communicatinginformation to selected subscribers through the coordination ofcomputers, television, and broadcast print. FIG. 7F also illustrates useof a local input, 225.

The microcomputer, 205, of the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F, ispreprogrammed to receive and process automatically meal recipeinstructions and holds records of the size of the family of thesubscriber of said station together with the tastes and dietary habitsof the members of said family. For example, particular information isrecorded in a file named DATA_OF.URS that is on a so-called “floppydisk” that is loaded at the A: disk drive at said microcomputer, 205.Said information specifies that said family prefers particular very hotand spicy foods, prefers to minimize salt consumption, and consists offour adults.

(Simultaneously, a particular second microcomputer, 205, that is at thedifferent station of a second subscriber and is also preprogrammed toreceive and process automatically meal recipe instructions, holdsinformation in a file named DATA_OF.URS on a floppy disk that is loadedat its A: disk drive which information specifies that the family of saidsecond subscriber prefers particular mild foods, is indifferentregarding salt consumption, and consists of two adults. And a particularthird microcomputer, 205, that is at another different station of athird subscriber and that is also preprogrammed to receive and processautomatically meal recipe instructions, holds information in a filenamed DATA_OF.URS on a floppy disk that is loaded at its A: disk drivewhich information specifies that the family of said third subscriberprefers particular moderately hot and spicy foods, is indifferentregarding salt consumption, and consists of two adults and threechildren.)

The program originating studio of a particular network transmits theprogramming transmission of a particular conventional television programon cooking techniques that is called “Exotic Meals of India.” Saidtransmission is received at the intermediate transmission station ofFIG. 6 and retransmitted immediately on the cable channel of modulator,83. (Said transmission is also received at the aforementioned secondintermediate transmission station of example #10 and retransmittedimmediately.)

At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F (which station is a subscriber stationof the intermediate station of FIG. 6), in the fashions described above,apparatus is caused to receive the particular transmission of saidprogram that is retransmitted by the intermediate station of FIG. 6; tointerconnect in such a way that the audio information received at atuner, 215, and the video information received at said tuner, 215, areinputted separately, via matrix switch, 258, to monitor, 202M; to retainand process meter and monitor information of the use and usage of theinformation of said transmission, and to display the televisioninformation of said transmission (that is, information of said audio andvideo) at monitor, 202M. (In other words, because said “Exotic Meals ofIndia” programming is conventional television programming rather thancombined medium programming, no information of said programming isinputted to microcomputer, 205, and no programming outputted bymicrocomputer, 205, is inputted to monitor, 202M.)

(Simultaneously and in the same fashion, apparatus of the station ofsaid second subscriber [which station is a subscriber station of theintermediate station of FIG. 6] receives, interconnects, meters andmonitors, and displays at a monitor, 202M, the information of saidtransmission. And apparatus of the station of said third subscriber[which station is a subscriber station of said second intermediatestation] also receives, interconnects, meters and monitors, and displaysat a monitor, 202M, the information of the transmission of said programthat is transmitted by said second intermediate station.)

The program is devoted to the subject of cooking a particular fish currythat can be mild or moderately hot and spicy or, as a vindaloo, very hotand spicy.

Halfway through the program the host says, “If you are interested incooking what we are preparing here and want a your own printed copy ofthe recipe tailored to your own tastes and your own shopping list for acharge of only 10 cents, enter on your Widget Signal Generator and LocalInput the information that you see on your screen.” The information thatappears on the screen of each subscriber is “TV567#”.

Each subscriber—in particular, the subscriber of the station of FIGS. 7and 7F, said second subscriber, and said third subscriber—enters TV567#,in a fashion well known in the art, at the keyboard of the specificlocal input, 225, of his own station which causes said input, 225, totransmit a particular preprogrammed process-local-input instruction andsaid TV567# information to the controller, 20, of the signal processor,200, of said station.

Receiving said instruction and information causes the controller, 20, ateach station where TV567# is entered, in a predetermined fashion, toretain said TV567# information at particular last-local-input-# memory.

Five minutes later, said program originating studio embeds in thetransmission of the “Exotic Meals of India” programming and transmits aparticular first SPAM message that consists of an “01” header,particular execution segment information that is addressed to URS signalprocessors, 200, appropriate meter-monitor information, padding bits asrequired, an information segment of particularcheck-for-entered-information-and-process instructions, and an end offile signal.

At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F, said message is detected at TV signaldecoder, 145, and said execution segment information invokes particularcontrolled function instructions that cause said message to betransferred to the controller, 20, of signal processor, 200.Automatically, the controller, 39, of decoder, 145, transmits particularswitching request information to the control processor, 20A, of signalprocessor, 200, via the aforementioned control information bus means.Receiving said information causes control processor, 20A, to causematrix switch, 259, to establish a communications link between saidcontroller, 39, and said controller, 20. Automatically, said controller,39, transfers said message to said controller, 20.

Receiving said message causes controller, 20, to load and execute saidcheck-for-entered-information-and-process instructions, and executingsaid instructions causes controller, 20, to determine that TV567#information exists at said last-local-input-# memory and to cause aninstance of particular covert control information (which ispreprogrammed in said instructions) to be placed at particularcontrol-function-invoking information memory of the controller, 39, ofdecoder, 145, and also at particular control-function-invokinginformation memory of the controller, 39, of decoder, 203. Executingsaid instructions also causes controller, 20, to initiate a particularsignal record of meter information at the buffer, 14, of signalprocessor, 200, which record contains particular program unitinformation and TV567# information. (At stations where TV567#information does not exist at last-local-input-# memory of thecontrollers, 20, said instructions cause said controllers, 20, to ceaseexecuting and delete all information of said instructions withoutplacing any information at the decoders, 145 and 203, or initiating anymeter information.)

(Receiving said first message at the stations of said second and saidthird subscribers causes apparatus of said station to function in thefashion of the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F.)

One minute later, said program originating studio embeds in thetransmission of said “Exotic Meals of India” programming and transmits aparticular second SPAM message that consists of an “01” header,particular execution segment information that is identical to saidcovert control information, appropriate meter-monitor informationincluding unit code identification information that identifies theprogramming of the information segment of said message, padding bits asrequired, information segment of particulargenerate-recipe-and-shopping-list instructions, and an end of filesignal.

At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F, said message is detected at TV signaldecoder, 145, and said execution segment information invokes particularcontrolled function instructions that cause said message to betransferred to the controller, 39, of decoder, 203. Automatically, thecontroller, 39, of decoder, 145, transmits particular switching requestinformation to the control processor, 20A, of signal processor, 200, viathe aforementioned control information bus means. Receiving saidinformation causes control processor, 20A, to cause matrix switch, 259,to establish a communications link between the controller, 39, ofdecoder, 145, and the controller, 39, of decoder, 203. Automatically,said controller, 39, of decoder, 145, transfers said message to thecontroller, 39, of decoder, 203.

Receiving said message causes the controller, 39, of decoder, 203, toload and execute said generate-recipe-and-shopping-list instructions atmicrocomputer, 205, and to transfer particular meter-monitor informationto the buffer/comparator, 14, of signal processor, 200, causing saidbuffer/comparator, 14, to increment the information of said signalrecord of meter information in the fashion described above.

Executing said generate-recipe-and-shopping-list instructions causesmicrocomputer, 205, to generate information of the specific fish curryrecipe and fish curry shopping list of the family of the subscriber ofthe station of FIGS. 7 and 7F; to cause said recipe and shopping list tobe printed at printer, 221; and to retain information of said shoppinglist at particular memory. Automatically, microcomputer, 205, accessesits A:DATA_OF.URS file, in a fashion well known in the art, and selectsthe aforementioned information that specifies the size of the family ofthe subscriber of said station together with the tastes and dietaryhabits of the members of said family; determines that one ingredient ofthe recipe of said family is “Patak's low-salt Vindaloo Curry Paste”(because said family prefers particular very hot and spicy foods andprefers to minimize salt consumption); computes that, at one-half poundof halibut fish and one teaspoonful of said Vindaloo Paste per adult,the recipe of said family (which is of four adults) calls for two poundsof halibut and four teaspoonfuls of said Paste and that the shoppinglist of said family lists two pounds of halibut and one jar of “Patak'slow-salt Vindaloo Curry Paste”; incorporates information of said twopounds and four teaspoonfuls of “Patak's low-salt Vindaloo Curry Paste”into generally applicable information of the recipe of said “ExoticMeals of India” programming and information of said two pounds and onejar of “Patak's low-salt Vindaloo Curry Paste” into generally applicableinformation of the shopping list of said programming, thereby generating(through the processes of so determining, computing, and incorporating)output information of the specific recipe and shopping list of saidfamily; records one instance of the output of said shopping list atparticular shopping-list memory; and outputs output information of saidspecific recipe and list to printer, 221.

Receiving said output information causes printer, 221, to print theinformation of said specific recipe and list.

(Receiving said second message at the stations of said second and saidthird subscribers causes apparatus of said station to function in thefashion of the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F except that the specific recipeand list information processed, recorded, outputted, and printed at saidstations are the specific recipes and lists of the families of saidsubscribers. The microcomputer, 205, of the station of said secondsubscriber determines that one ingredient of the recipe of said familyis “Patak's Quick Curry Paste (Mild)” (because said family prefersparticular mild foods and is indifferent regarding salt consumption);computes that the recipe of said family (which is of two adults) callsfor one pound of halibut and two teaspoonfuls of said Paste and that theshopping list of said family lists one pound of halibut and one jar of“Patak's Quick Curry Paste (Mild)”; completes generating; recordsselectively at particular shopping-list memory; outputs; and causes tobe printed output information of the specific recipe and shopping listof said family that reflects the one pound, two teaspoonfuls, and onejar of “Patak's Quick Curry Paste (Mild)” information so determined andcomputed. The microcomputer, 205, of the station of said thirdsubscriber determines that one ingredient of the recipe of said familyis “Patak's Quick Curry Paste (Hot)” (because said family prefersparticular moderately hot and spicy foods and is indifferent regardingsalt consumption); computes that, at one-half pound of halibut fish andone teaspoonful of said Paste per adult and at one-quarter pound ofhalibut fish and one-half teaspoonful of said Paste per child, therecipe of said family (which is of two adults and three children) callsfor one and three-quarters pounds of halibut and three and one-halfteaspoonfuls of said Paste and that the shopping list of said familylists one and three-quarters pounds of halibut and one jar of “Patak'sQuick Curry Paste (Hot)”; completes generating; records selectively atparticular shopping-list memory; outputs; and causes to be printedoutput information of the specific recipe and shopping list of saidfamily that reflects the one and three-quarters pounds, three andone-half teaspoonfuls, and one jar of “Patak's Quick Curry Paste (Hot)”information so determined and computed.)

(At stations where TV567# information was not entered at a local input,225, the decoders, 145, discard all information of said second messagebecause the executions segment information of said message fails tomatch any controlled-function-invoking information, and receiving saidmessage causes no further processing.)

One benefit of this method of transmitting the information of saidgenerate-recipe-and-shopping-list instructions is that by causing saidinstructions to be embedded in the transmission of said “Exotic Meals ofIndia” programming this method enables any subscriber who records thetransmission of said programming at a recorder/player, 217, to accessthe embedded information of said instructions automatically in thisfashion whenever the recorded transmission of said programming is playedback—and in so doing, to cause the signal processor, 200, of his stationto process meter-monitor information of said embedded first and secondmessages anew whenever TV567# is entered at a local input, 225, in thecourse of the play back of said transmission. However, this method hasthe drawback of making the information of said instructions relativelyvulnerable to programming pirates (who may be able to manipulate andextract said information relatively easily without causing meterinformation to be transmitted to remote metering stations) because theembedded location of said instructions is relatively easy to find.

(An alternate method for inputting said second message to themicrocomputers, 205, at stations where TV567# is entered at a localinput, 225, is to embed said message in a particular second transmissionthat is different from the transmission of said “Exotic Meals of India”programming and to cause a selected All signal decoder, 290, at each oneof said stations to receive said second transmission, thereby causingsaid decoder, 290, to detect and transfer the information of said secondmessage to the microcomputer, 205, of said station. In this alternatemethod, executing said check-for-entered-information-and-processinstructions of said first SPAM message causes controller, 20, of signalprocessor, 200, of each one of said stations to cause the tuner, 223, ofa selected converter box, 222, to tune said box, 222, to receive saidsecond transmission; to cause the matrix switch, 258, to establish aprogramming communication link between said selected converter box, 222,and said decoder, 290; to cause the appropriate receiver apparatus ofsaid decoder, 290, to receive said transmission and the appropriatedetector and EOFS valve, 39F, to commence detecting an end of filesignal; and to cause an instance of particular covert controlinformation that is in said instruction to be placed at particularcontrol-function-invoking information memory of the controller, 39, ofsaid decoder, 290. In due course, said programming originating studiocauses the intermediate transmission station to embed an end of filesignal then said second message in said second transmission.Transmitting said end of file signal then said second message causes theapparatus of said decoder, 290, to detect and process properly theinformation of said second message. This method has the advantage ofmaking the information of said instructions relatively invulnerable toprogramming pirates because the location of said instructions [moreprecisely, the particular transmission in which said instructions areembedded] is harder to identify without causing meter information [ifonly of said first message] to be transmitted to remote meteringstations.)

(Whichever transmission method is employed the information of saidsecond message can be encrypted and caused to be decrypted in any of themethods described above—for example, in the method of the first messageof example #4.)

Toward the end of the transmission of said “Exotic Meals of India”programming and after each microcomputer, 205, that processes theinformation of said second message records one instance of specificshopping list output information at particular shopping-list memory,said programming origination studio commences the example #10transmission of the programming of the supermarket chain commercial ofQ. While still transmitting said “Exotic Meals of India” programming,said studio embeds and transmits said load-set-information message (#10)in the transmission of said programming.

As described above, receiving said message causes intermediatetransmission stations, including the station of FIG. 6 and said secondintermediate transmission station, each to load the information ofparticular files, PROGRAM.EXE and DATA_OF:ITS, at particularprogram-set-to-transmit and data-set-to-transmit RAM memories of acomputer, 73.

Then said studio ceases transmitting “Exotic Meals of India” programmingfor a so-called “commercial break” and commences transmitting theconventional television video and audio information of program unit Q.

Immediately after commencing to transmit said video and audio of Q, saidstudio transmits said align-URS-microcomputers-205 message (#10),embedded in the programming transmission of Q. Said message consists ofa “10” header, and information of a particular SPAMalign-subscriber-station-microcomputers-to-receive-combined-medium-computer-programmingexecution segment that is addressed to URS signal processors, 200, andany required padding bits.

Receiving said message at the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F causes TV signaldecoder, 282, to detect said message and execute particularpreprogrammed controlled function instructions that cause said decoder,282, to cause a communications link to be established that links saiddecoder, 282, via matrix switch, 259, with the controller, 20, of signalprocessor, 200; to transfer said message to controller, 20; and totransfer particular preprogrammed source mark information thatidentifies said decoder, 282, as the local source inputting said messageto controller, 20. (Decoder, 145, is not preprogrammed withcontrolled-function-invoking information that matches the executionsegment information of said message, and decoder, 145, discards allinformation of said message.)

Receiving said message causes controller, 20, to combine microcomputer,205, to the computer system of said program originating studio and tocause the video and audio output transmissions of microcomputer, 205, tobe inputted to monitor, 202M. Automatically, controller, 20, determines,in a predetermined fashion, that the television information received attuner, 215, is displayed at monitor, 202M; that the audio emitted atmonitor, 202M, is inputted to said monitor, 202M, via matrix switch,258, from said tuner, 215; and that the video displayed at monitor,202M, is also inputted to said monitor, 202M, via matrix switch, 258,from said tuner, 215. Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrixswitch, 258, to configure its switches so as to transfer the videoinformation that is inputted to monitor, 202M, also to divider, 4, andto configure its switches so as to transfer the audio information thatis inputted to monitor, 202M, also to divider, 202D. In so doing,receiving said message causes the apparatus of said station to combineto the computer system of said program originating studio.Automatically, controller, 20, causes a control informationcommunication link to be established that links controller, 20, and thecontroller, 39, of decoder, 203, then inputs an interrupt signal ofnew-channel-input information to said controller, 39. In so doing,receiving said message causes the decoder, 203, of said station todelete all previously received SPAM information and commence discardingall received SPAM information until an end of file signal is detected.Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrix switch, 258, to configureits switches so as to cease transferring audio information inputted fromsaid tuner, 215, to monitor, 202M, and video information inputted fromsaid tuner, 215, to monitor, 202M. Automatically, controller, 20, causesmatrix switch, 258, to configure its switches so as to commencetransferring audio information inputted from said microcomputer, 205, tomonitor, 202M, and video information inputted from said microcomputer,205, to monitor, 202M. In so doing, receiving said message causes matrixswitch, 258, to interconnect the apparatus of said station in thefashion of FIG. 7E.

(Receiving said align-URS-microcomputers-205 message (#10) at thestations of said second subscriber and of said third subscriber causesapparatus at said stations to function in the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F,apparatus of said stations to combine to the computer system of saidprogram originating studio, to discard received SPAM information, and tointerconnect at each of said stations in the fashion of FIG. 7E.)

After an interval that is sufficient to allow apparatus at eachsubscriber station so to combine and interconnect, said studio transmitssaid synch-SPAM-reception message (#10), embedded in the transmission ofsaid programming. Said message consists of a “01” header, information ofthe aforementioned pseudo-command execution segment, appropriatemeter-monitor information that includes the “program unit identificationcode” information of said programming of Q, any required padding bits,an information segment that contains no binary information, andinformation of a SPAM end of file signal.

Receiving said message at the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F causes decoder,203, to detect the end of file signal of said message and to process thenext received SPAM information as information of the header of a SPAMmessage, thereby causing said decoder, 203, to commence identifying andprocessing the individual SPAM messages of the SPAM informationsubsequently embedded in the transmission of the programming of Q. In sodoing, receiving said message causes decoder apparatus of the station ofFIGS. 7 and 7F to commence executing controlled functions in response toSPAM messages transmitted by said program originating studio. (In thefashions described above, receiving said message at decoders, 145 and282, causes said decoders, 145 and 282, to process the meter-monitorinformation of said message and to transmit meter-monitor information tothe onboard controller, 14A, of signal processor, 200, and causes saidonboard controller, 14A, to initiate signal record information of saidprogramming of Q and process in the fashions described above thatinclude transferring recorded signal record information to one or moreremote auditing stations.)

Then immediately, said studio transmits said control-invoking message(#10), embedded in the transmission of said programming. Said messageconsists of a “00” header, information of a particular control-invokingexecution segment that is addressed to URS decoders, 203, appropriatemeter-monitor information that includes the “program unit identificationcode” information of said programming of Q, any required padding bits.

Receiving said message at the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F causes decoder,203, to input the aforementioned control invoking instructions to itsmicrocomputer, 205, thereby causing microcomputer, 205, to come undercontrol of the computer system of the transmission of said studio.(Decoder, 203, has capacity to turn power on to microcomputer, 205, andreceiving said message may cause decoder, 203, first to turn power on tomicrocomputer, 205, before inputting control invoking instructions.)Automatically, decoder, 203, also transfers meter-monitor information,causing to said onboard controller, 14A, to increment its signal recordinformation of Q in the fashion described above.

(Receiving said synch-SPAM-reception message (#10) andsaid-control-invoking message (#10) at the stations of said secondsubscriber and of said third subscriber causes apparatus at saidstations, in the same fashion, to come under control of the computersystem of said program originating studio.)

(At other stations that lack microcomputer, 205, capacity, that displayonly the conventional programming of the transmission of Q at a monitor,202M, and that are preprogrammed to collect monitor information,receiving said messages at decoders, 145 and 282, causes decoders, 145and 282, and onboard controllers, 14A, of signal processors, 200, toprocess the meter-monitor information of said message, to initiatesignal record information of said programming of Q, and at selected onesof said stations where recorders, 16, record signal record informationand equal or exceed predetermined capacity, to transfer recorded signalrecord information to one or more remote auditing stations.)

Then said studio transmits said transmit-data-module-set message (#10),causing each intermediate transmission station, including the station ofFIG. 6 and said second intermediate transmission station, to transmitits specific data-module-set message (#10), as described above.

Receiving the specific data-module-set message (#10) of its intermediatetransmission station causes each ultimate receiver station to record oneinstance of the DATA_OF.ITS information in said message in a particularfile, named “DATA_OF.ITS” at so-called “RAM disk” memory of themicrocomputer, 205, of said station. At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F,receiving the data-module-set message (#10) transmitted by theintermediate transmission station of FIG. 6 causes said message to bedetected at decoder, 203, and causes decoder, 203, to load and executeat microcomputer, 205, the information segment of said message (whichincludes complete information of the aforementioned data file,DATA_OF.ITS, of said station). Executing said information causesmicrocomputer, 205, to place said complete information at a so-called“D:” RAM disk at the RAM of said microcomputer, 205, in a file entitled,at the directory of said disk, “DATA_OF.ITS”. (Simultaneously, themicrocomputer, 205, at the station of said second subscriber [whichstation is a also subscriber station of the intermediate transmissionstation of FIG. 6] receives the same data-module-set message (#10) andis caused, in the same fashion, to place complete information saidaforementioned data file, DATA_OF.ITS, at the “D:” RAM disk at saidmicrocomputer, 205, in a file entitled “DATA_OF.ITS”. And themicrocomputer, 205, at the station of said third subscriber [whichstation is a subscriber station of said second intermediate transmissionstation] receives the data-module-set message (#10) of said secondintermediate station and is caused, in the same fashion, to placecomplete information the data file, DATA_OF.ITS, of said secondintermediate station at the “D:” RAM disk at said microcomputer, 205, ina file also entitled “DATA_OF.ITS”.) (Alternately, receiving thespecific data-module-set message (#10) of its intermediate transmissionstation may cause each ultimate receiver station to record one instanceof the DATA_OF.ITS information in said message in a particular file,named “DATA_OF.ITS”, on appropriate recording medium of a peripheraldisk drive, designated drive D:, of the microcomputer, 205, of saidstation.)

Then said studio transmits saidtransmit-and-execute-program-instruction-set message (#10), causing eachintermediate transmission station, including the station of FIG. 6 andsaid second intermediate transmission station, to transmit its specificprogram-instruction-set message (#10), as described above.

Receiving the specific program-instruction-set message (#10) of itsintermediate transmission station causes each ultimate receiver stationto record one instance of the PROGRAM.EXE information in said message atparticular RAM and execute the information so loaded as a machinelanguage job. At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F, receiving theprogram-instruction-set message (#10) transmitted by the intermediatetransmission station of FIG. 6 causes said message to be detected atdecoder, 203, and causes decoder, 203, to load and execute atmicrocomputer, 205, the information segment of said message (which isthe program instruction set of Q.1 and is the output file, PROGRAM.EXE,of said station). As described above, the information of said segmentincludes formula-and-item-of-this-transmission information of the higherlanguage line of program code:Y=1000.00+62.21875+(2.117*X)compiled and linked to other compiled information. (Simultaneously, themicrocomputer, 205, at the station of said second subscriber receivesthe same program-instruction-set message (#10) and is caused, in thesame fashion, to load and execute said program instruction set of Q.1that is the information of the information segment of said message. Andthe microcomputer, 205, at the station of said third subscriber receivesthe program-instruction-set message (#10) of said second intermediatestation and is caused, in the same fashion, to load and execute thecomplete instructions of the output file, PROGRAM.EXE, of said secondintermediate station which is the information of the information segmentof said last named message and is the program instruction set of Q.2.Said instructions so executed includeformula-and-item-of-this-transmission information of the higher languageline of program code:Y=1000.00+132.2362+(2.0882*X)compiled and linked to other compiled information.)

Executing the specific program instruction set instructions received ateach subscriber station causes the microcomputer, 205, of said stationto generate its own specific information of a series of outputs.

Under control of the instructions of said program instruction set ofQ.1, the microcomputer, 205, of FIGS. 7 and 7F generates imageinformation of a first video overlay and generates selected informationof subsequent overlays in the following fashion. Automatically, in afashion well known in the art, microcomputer, 205, accesses its fileA:DATA_OF.URS and locates the aforementioned information of theparticular address of the subscriber station of FIGS. 7 and 7F theaccesses its file D:DATA_OF.ITS and locates the aforementionedinformation of the particular street addresses of each of the markets ofsaid supermarket chain that is in the locality of the intermediatestation of FIG. 6. Then automatically, microcomputer, 205, accesses theaforementioned distance-and-relative-location module that, whenaccessed, computes the shortest vehicle driving distance between any twolocations in the local vicinity of the station of FIG. 6 when passed twostreet addresses of said vicinity and passes to said module and passesto said module the address of said subscriber station and, one at atime, the address of each of said markets. Automatically, under controlof the instructions of said module, microcomputer, 205, computes theshortest vehicle distance and the relative direction between saidsubscriber station and each of said markets. Then automatically, bycomparing distance information, microcomputer, determines which marketis closest to said subscriber station, that the distance between saidsubscriber station and said market is 4.3 miles, and that saidsubscriber station is southwest of said market. Automatically,microcomputer, 205, stores particular southwest-quadrant information atparticular 1st working memory of said microcomputer, 205. Thenautomatically, on a machine language basis and in a fashion well knownin the art, said microcomputer, 205, substitutes the value 4.3 for thevariable X in the equation:Y=1000.00+62.21875+(2.117*X)computes the value of Y that is specific the station of FIGS. 7 and 7Fto be: 1071.32 (rounded in a fashion well known in the art); and stores1071.32 information at particular 2nd working memory of saidmicrocomputer, 205. Automatically, microcomputer, 205, clears video RAM;causes the background color of video RAM to be a color such as blackthat is transparent when combined with transmitted video by thePC-MicroKey System; causes binary image information of “$1,071.32” to beplaced at bit locations of video RAM that produce video imageinformation in the upper left hand of a video screen when video RAMinformation is transmitted to said screen. (Simultaneously, undercontrol of the instructions of said program instruction set of Q.1, themicrocomputer, 205, at the station of said second subscriber computesand determines that the distance between said last named station and themarket closest to said station is 8.7 miles and that said station isnorthwest of said market; stores particular northwest-quadrantinformation at particular 1st working memory of said microcomputer, 205;substitutes the value 8.7 for the variable X in its received informationof said last named equation and computes the value of Y that is specificthe station of said second subscriber to be 1080.64 (rounded); stores1080.64 information at particular 2nd working memory of saidmicrocomputer, 205; clears and sets video RAM to said transparentbackground color; and causes binary image information of “$1,080.64” tobe placed at particular upper left hand video screen bit locations ofvideo RAM. And under control of the instructions of said programinstruction set of Q.2, the microcomputer, 205, at the station of saidthird subscriber computes and determines that the distance between saidlast named station and the closest selected market in the vicinity ofsaid second intermediate transmission station is 3.2 miles and that saidsubscriber station is southeast of said market; stores particularsoutheast-quadrant information at particular 1st working memory of saidmicrocomputer, 205; substitutes the value 3.2 for the variable X in itsreceived information of the equation:Y=1000.00+132.2362+(2.0882*X)and computes the value of Y that is specific to the station of saidthird subscriber to be 1138.92 (rounded); stores 1138.92 information atparticular 2nd working memory of said microcomputer, 205; clears andsets video RAM to said transparent background color; and causes binaryimage information of “$1,138.92” to be placed at particular upper lefthand video screen bit locations of video RAM.)

Then, under control of said instructions that constitute the specificprogram instruction set of the microcomputer, 205, of the station ofFIGS. 7 and 7F, said microcomputer, 205, generates and stores additionalinformation of subsequent outputs, selects sound image information of afirst audio overlay, and places said selected information at audio RAM.At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F, microcomputer, 205, computes theamount that the subscriber of said station will save by buying anuntrimmed pork belly unit as compared with buying a trimmed pork bellyunit at the aforementioned local market selected at said station.Automatically, microcomputer, 205, locates the aforementionedcost-of-a-trimmed-pork-belly-unit information in its file,D:DATA_OF.ITS. Then, by subtracting the information stored at said 2ndworking memory of said microcomputer, 205, (which is 1071.32) from saidcost-of-a-trimmed-pork-belly-unit information (which is 1987.25),microcomputer, 205, automatically computes said amount to be 915.93 andsaves information of 915.93 at particular 3rd working memory of saidmicrocomputer, 205. Then microcomputer, 205, selects audio informationthat represents the percentage saving that said subscriber can save bybuying an untrimmed pork belly unit in comparison to a trimmed porkbelly unit at said market. Automatically, microcomputer, 205, clears itsaudio RAM. Then automatically, by dividing the information at said 3rdworking memory (which is 915.93) by saidcost-of-a-trimmed-pork-belly-unit information (which is 1987.25),microcomputer, 205, computes information of 0.4609 (rounded), which isthe decimal equivalent of the percentage saving; determines that saidinformation is greater than 0.4600 and less than 0.4700; and selects theaudio information of an announcer's voice saying “forty-six” from amongthe information of said file, D:DATA_OF.ITS; and places said informationat audio RAM. (In similar fashion, the microcomputer, 205, at thestation of said second subscriber computes information of the amountthat the subscriber of said station will save by buying an untrimmedpork belly unit by subtracting the information stored at theaforementioned 2nd working memory of said microcomputer, 205, [whichinformation is 1080.64] from the cost-of-a-trimmed-pork-belly-unitinformation of the program instruction set instructions received by saidmicrocomputer, 205, [which information is 1987.25]; stores thedifference information so computed [which is 896.61] at particular 3rdworking memory of said microcomputer, 205; clears the audio RAM of saidmicrocomputer, 205; by dividing the information at said 3rd workingmemory [which is 896.61] by the cost-of-a-trimmed-pork-belly-unitinformation [which is 1987.25] at its file, D:DATA_OF.ITS, computesinformation of 0.4562 [rounded], which is the decimal equivalent of thepercentage saving of said second subscriber; determines that saidinformation of 0.4562 is greater than 0.4500 and less than 0.4600;selects the aforementioned audio information of an announcer's voicesaying “forty-five” from its file, D:DATA_OF.ITS; and places saidinformation at said audio RAM. And the microcomputer, 205, at thestation of said third subscriber computes information of the amount thatsaid subscriber will save by buying an untrimmed pork belly unit bysubtracting the information stored at the 2nd working memory of saidmicrocomputer, 205, [which is 1138.92] from thecost-of-a-trimmed-pork-belly-unit information of its file,D:DATA_OF.ITS, [which information is 2021.42]; stores the differenceinformation so computed [which is 882.50] at particular 3rd workingmemory of said microcomputer, 205; clears the audio RAM of saidmicrocomputer, 205; computes information of 0.4366 [rounded], which isthe decimal equivalent of the percentage saving of said secondsubscriber by dividing the information at said 3rd working memory [whichis 882.50] by said cost-of-a-trimmed-pork-belly-unit information [whichis 2021.42]; determines that said information of 0.4366 is greater than0.4300 and less than 0.4400; selects the audio information of anannouncer's voice saying “forty-three” from its file, D:DATA_OF.ITS; andplaces said information at said audio RAM.)

As each subscriber station microcomputer, 205, completes placingselected information of an announcer's voice at audio RAM, the programinstruction set instructions received by said microcomputer, 205, causesaid microcomputer, 205, to pause, in a fashion well known in the art,and wait for an input instruction.

Meanwhile, in the conventional television programming transmission of Q,the video conveys television picture information of a large outdoorbarbecue party, and the audio transmits information of an announcersaying:

“Think how much your friends enjoy outdoor barbecues.”

Said studio transmits television picture information of the upper torsoof a person and audio information of an announcer saying,

-   -   “For a limited time only, Super Discount Supermarkets make this        special offer to you. Super Discount Supermarkets will deliver        to you, at cost, all the pork you need to entertain five hundred        people for this low, low price . . . .”

Said studio transmits television picture information of the right handand arm of said person pointing moving to point at the upper left handcorner of the television screen.

At this moment, said studio embeds and transmits said 1stcommence-outputting message (#10). Said message consists of a “00”header; execution segment information that is identical to the executionsegment of the second message of the “Wall Street Week” example,appropriate meter-monitor information including “program unitidentification code” information and overlay number field information,and any required padding bits. And each intermediate transmissionstation (including the intermediate station of FIG. 6 and said secondintermediate station) receives and retransmits said message.

Receiving said message causes each subscriber station that has completedthe generation of first overlay image information at video RAM tocombine its specific image information with the conventional videoinformation transmitted by said studio and cause its specific monitor,202M, to display the combined specific image information and transmittedvideo information. At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F, decoder, 203,detects the information of said message, and receiving said 1stcommence-outputting message (#10) causes decoder, 203, to execute“GRAPHICS ON” at the PC-MicroKey system of microcomputer, 205.Automatically, microcomputer, 205, combines its specific video RAMbinary image information of “$1,071.32” with its received conventionalvideo information. And automatically $1,071.32 is displayed at the upperleft hand corner of the picture screen of monitor, 202M, which is thecorner to which the image of the person shown at said screen ispointing. (Simultaneously and in the same fashion, apparatus at thestation of said second subscriber causes the specific video RAM imageinformation of said station, which is “$1,080.64”, to be displayed atthe upper left hand corner of the picture screen of the monitor, 202M,of said station and said subscriber can see the image said personpointing at $1,080.64. And at the station of said third subscriber, inthe same fashion, apparatus causes the specific video RAM imageinformation of said station, which is “$1,138.92”, to be displayed atthe upper left hand corner of the picture screen of the monitor, 202M,of said station and said third subscriber can see the image said personpointing at $1,138.92.)

Said studio then transmits audio information of the announcer saying:

-   -   “Super Discount Supermarkets makes this offer—today only—at        cost, and this offer represents a saving to you of over.”

Then said program originating studio embeds and transmits said 2ndcommence-outputting message (#10). Said message consists of a “00”header; particular audio-overlay execution segment information that isaddressed to URS microcomputers, 205, appropriate meter-monitorinformation including “program unit identification code” information andoverlay number field information, and any required padding bits. Andeach intermediate transmission station (including the intermediatestation of FIG. 6 and said second intermediate station) receives andretransmits said message.

Receiving said 2nd commence-outputting message (#10) causes eachsubscriber station that has completed the generation of first audioimage information at audio RAM to combine its specific image informationto the conventional audio information transmitted by said studio and toemit sound of its combined specific audio information and its receivedconventional audio information at its specific monitor, 202M. At thestation of FIGS. 7 and 7F, decoder, 203, detects the information of saidmessage, and receiving said 2nd commence-outputting message (#10) causesdecoder, 203, to execute “SOUND ON” at the microcomputer, 205 of saidstation. Automatically, microcomputer, 205, transmits to monitor, 202M,via audio information transmission means, one instance of theinformation at the audio RAM of said microcomputer, 205, causing theemission of sound of said audio information, and the subscriber of saidstation can hear said announcer's voice saying:

-   -   “forty-six”.        (Simultaneously, the microcomputer, 205, at the station of said        second subscriber transmits to the monitor, 202M, of said        station, via audio information transmission means, one instance        of the information at the audio RAM of said microcomputer, 205,        causing emission of sound of said audio information, and said        second subscriber can hear said announcer's voice saying:    -   “forty-five”.        And the microcomputer, 205, at the station of said third        subscriber transmits to the monitor, 202M, of said station, one        instance of the information at the audio RAM of said        microcomputer, 205, causing emission of sound of said audio        information, and the sound of said announcer's voice saying:    -   “forty-three”        is what said third subscriber can hear.)

Then after an interval that is long enough for each subscriber stationto emit sound of its specific audio RAM information, said studiotransmits audio information of the announcer saying:

-   -   “percent.”

Receiving said 2nd commence-outputting message (#10) causes eachsubscriber station that outputs audio information in this fashion,immediately after so transmitting one instance of its specificinformation at audio RAM, to continue executing instructions of itsspecific program instruction set at the next instruction following theaforementioned pause. Automatically, after outputting one instance ofaudio RAM information, each subscriber station clears its audio RAM,selects sound image information of a second audio overlay, and placessaid selected information at audio RAM. At the station of FIGS. 7 and7F, microcomputer, 205, clears its audio RAM then determines, in thepredetermined fashion of said program instruction set of Q.1, that theshopping list information at particular shopping-list memory at saidstation includes information of Patak's low-salt Vindaloo Curry Paste.So determining causes said microcomputer, 205, in said predeterminedfashion, to select particular sound image information of an announcer'svoice saying “low-salt Vindaloo” from among the information of itsD:DATA_OF.ITS file and to place said selected information at said audioRAM. (In similar fashion, at the station of said second subscriber, themicrocomputer, 205, clears its audio RAM; determines that the shoppinglist information at the shopping-list memory at said station includesinformation of Patak's Quick Curry Paste (Mild); selects particularsound image information of an announcer's voice saying “Mild versionQuick” from its D:DATA_OF.ITS file; and places said selected informationat said audio RAM. And at the station of said third subscriber, themicrocomputer, 205, clears its audio RAM; determines that theinformation at its shopping-list memory includes information of Patak'sQuick Curry Paste (Hot); selects particular sound image information of“Hot version Quick” from its D:DATA_OF.ITS file; and places saidselected information at said audio RAM.)

As each subscriber station microcomputer, 205, completes placingselected information of an announcer's voice at audio RAM, the programinstruction set instructions received by said microcomputer, 205, causesaid microcomputer, 205, to pause a second time and wait for an inputinstruction.

Meanwhile, as said studio continues to transmit television pictureinformation of the person pointing to the upper left hand corner of thetelevision screen, said studio transmits audio information of anannouncer saying,

-   -   “To confirm this very special limited offer to you in writing,        we are now printing, at your printer . . . .”

Then said program originating studio embeds and transmits said 3rdcommence-outputting message (#10). Said message consists of a “00”header; particular print-output execution segment information that isaddressed to URS microcomputers, 205; appropriate meter-monitorinformation including “program unit identification code” information andoverlay number field information; and any required padding bits. Andeach intermediate transmission station (including the intermediatestation of FIG. 6 and said second intermediate station) receives andretransmits said message.

Receiving said 3rd commence-outputting message (#10) causes eachsubscriber station to commence printing specific offer and couponinformation at its printer, 221. At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F,decoder, 203, detects the information of said message, and receivingsaid 3rd commence-outputting message (#10) causes decoder, 203, toexecute “PRINT OUT” at the microcomputer, 205 of said station. Undercontrol of said program instruction set instructions received by saidmicrocomputer, 205, microcomputer, 205, commences to generate printoutput information and to transmit said information to printer, 221.Automatically, microcomputer, 205, transmits to printer, 221, particularprint information (that is transmitted to intermediate stations in thegenerate-set-information message (#10) as generally applicableinformation of the intermediate generation set of Q and is compliedand/or linked to become part of said program instruction sets of Q.1 andQ.2) of “Super Discount Supermarkets offers to deliver at cost one unitof untrimmed pork belly product, suitable for a large outdoor barbecueparty, to:”. Automatically, microcomputer, 205, accesses the fileA:DATA_OF.URS, selects information of the aforementioned particularaddress of the subscriber station of FIGS. 7 and 7F, and causes saidinformation to be printed at printer, 221. Automatically, microcomputer,205, transmits additional print information of said program instructionset of Q.1 to printer, 221, causing printer, 221, to print: “in exchangefor this coupon and the sum of” and “$”. Automatically, microcomputer,205, selects information of the aforementioned 1071.32 at said 2ndworking memory and transmits said information to printer, 221, causingprinter, 221, to print: “1,071.32”. Automatically, microcomputer, 205,transmits additional print information of said program instruction setof Q.1 including information of “15 cents off” and of “Nabisco ZweibackTeething Toast” (incorporated into said generally applicable informationat the station of FIG. 6).

At printer, 221, the printed so-called “hard copy” of said offer andcoupon information emerges as:

(Simultaneously, at the station of said second subscriber, the decoder,203, executes “PRINT OUT” at the microcomputer, 205; said microcomputer,205, transmits to the printer, 221, of said station the same printinformation of program instruction set of Q.1 together with selectedinformation of the particular address of said second station and of theaforementioned 1080.64 at said 2nd working memory of said microcomputer,205; and printed hard copy offer and coupon information emerges at saidprinter, 221, as:

And at the station of said third subscriber, the decoder, 203, executes“PRINT OUT” at the microcomputer, 205; said microcomputer, 205,transmits to the printer, 221, of said station its received programinstruction set print information [including information of “CheeriosToasted Oat Cereal” that was incorporated at said second intermediatestation into the generally applicable of the said intermediategeneration set of Q instead of “Nabisco Zweiback Teething Toast”]together with selected information of the particular address of saidsecond station and of the aforementioned 1138.92 at said 2nd workingmemory of said microcomputer, 205; and:

is the printed hard copy offer and coupon information that emerges atsaid printer, 221, at the station of said third subscriber.)

Then, having transmitted audio of an announcer saying, “To confirm thisvery special limited offer to you in writing, we are now printing, atyour printer . . . ” (whereupon said 3rd commence-outputting message(#10) was transmitted and offer and coupon printing commenced), saidstudio then transmits audio of said announcer saying,

-   -   “the current specials and coupon offers of Super Discount        Supermarkets which include a special coupon for you with which        you can buy enough pork for your own barbecue party.”        (As said announcer makes this statement, the transmitted video        image is of said person pointing to the upper left hand corner        of the television screen where $1,071.32 continues to be        displayed at the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F [while,        simultaneously, $1,080.64 is displayed at the station of said        second subscriber, and $1,138.92 is displayed at the station of        said third subscriber].)

Then said program originating studio embeds and transmits said 1stcease-outputting message (#10). Said message is identical to theaforementioned third message of the “Wall Street Week” example.

Receiving said 1st cease-outputting message (#10) causes each subscriberstation to cease combining and to display only the transmitted videoinformation at its monitor, 202M. At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F,decoder, 203, detects the information of said message, and receivingsaid 1st cease-outputting message (#10) causes decoder, 203, to execute“GRAPHICS OFF” at the PC-MicroKey System of microcomputer, 205. In sodoing, decoder, 203, causes said PC-MicroKey to cease combining itsspecific image information with the conventional video informationtransmitted by said studio, to commence transmitting only thetransmitted video information to monitor, 202M.

Receiving said message causes each subscriber station then temporarilyto stop generating and outputting said print output information, toprepare to combine a second specific video overlay image, then to resumegenerating and outputting said print output information. At the stationof FIGS. 7 and 7F, receiving said 1st cease-outputting message (#10)causes decoder, 203, after so executing “GRAPHICS OFF”, to input theaforementioned clear-and-continue instruction to the CPU ofmicrocomputer, 205. In the preferred embodiment, said instruction isinputted to said CPU as an interrupt signal. Receiving saidclear-and-continue instruction as an interrupt signal causesmicrocomputer, 205, in a fashion well known in the art, to cease itscurrent function, to store particular information at particularinstruction-at-which-to-resume memory that identifies the location ofthe particular instruction at which to resume said function, and toexecute a particular when-interrupted portion of said programinstruction set of Q.1. Automatically, microcomputer, 205, ceasesgenerating and transmitting said print output information, having justoutputted information of “in exchange for this coupon and the sum of:”which causes printer, 221, to stop printing after printing “of:”.(Simultaneously, receiving the interrupt signal of its station'sclear-and-continue instruction at the microcomputer, 205, of the stationof said second subscriber causes said microcomputer, 205, to ceasegenerating and outputting its specific print output information, havingjust outputted information of “222 Second St.” which causes the printer,221, of said station to stop printing after printing “St.”. Andreceiving its station's clear-and-continue instruction at themicrocomputer, 205, of the station of said third subscriber causes saidmicrocomputer, 205, to cease generating and outputting its specificprint output information, having just outputted information of“$1,138.92” which causes the printer, 221, of said station to stopprinting after printing “0.92”.) Then, under control of the instructionsof said when-interrupted portion, microcomputer, 205, determines thatsaid clear-and-continue instruction is the first instance of aclear-and-continue instruction that microcomputer, 205, has receivedwhile under control of said program instruction set of Q.1. Sodetermining causes microcomputer, 205, to place “0” at particularFlag-interrupt register memory of said CPU that is normally “1” then tojump to a particular first-clear-and-continue address of theinstructions of said program instruction set of Q.1 and to commenceexecuting first-clear-and-continue instructions at said address.Automatically, under control of said instructions, microcomputer, 205,clears video RAM; sets the background color of video RAM to atransparent overlay black; determines that the aforementioned 1stworking memory of said microcomputer, 205, holds southwest-quadrantinformation; selects from said D:DATA_OF.ITS file information of theaforementioned southwest delivery route telephone number, “456-1414”,and causes binary image information of said number to be placed at bitlocations that produce video image information in the lower middleportion of a video screen. (Under control of thefirst-clear-and-continue instructions of its station's programinstruction set of Q.1, the microcomputer, 205, of the station of saidsecond subscriber clears video RAM; sets background to transparentblack; determines that the 1st working memory of said microcomputer,205, holds northwest-quadrant information; and causes binary informationof the selected northwest delivery route telephone number, “224-3121”,to be placed at particular lower middle video screen bit locations. Andunder control of the first-clear-and-continue instructions of itsstation's program instruction set of Q.2, the microcomputer, 205, of thestation of said third subscriber clears video RAM; sets background totransparent black; determines that the 1st working memory of saidmicrocomputer, 205, holds southeast-quadrant information; and causesbinary information of the selected southeast delivery route telephonenumber, “623-3000”, to be placed at particular lower middle video screenbit locations.) Then said first-clear-and-continue instructions causemicrocomputer, 205 to determine that the information at saidFlag-interrupt register memory is “0”, to place “1” at saidFlag-interrupt register memory, and to resume generating andtransmitting said print output information by executing the instructionlocated at the location identified by the information at saidinstruction-at-which-to-resume memory. Automatically, microcomputer,205, commences generating and transmitting its specific outputinformation, starting immediately after the aforementioned “of:”,thereby causing printer, 221, to print:

and the information that follows. (At the station of said secondsubscriber, the microcomputer, 205, resumes generating and transmittingits specific print output information, executing the instruction whoselocation is identified by the information at theinstruction-at-which-to-resume memory of said microcomputer, 205,thereby causing the printer, 221, of said station to print:

and the information that follows. And at the station of said thirdsubscriber, the microcomputer, 205, resumes generating and transmittingits specific print output information, executing the instructionidentified by the information at its instruction-at-which-to-resumememory, thereby its printer, 221, to print:

and the information that follows.)

(In example #10, receiving said 1st cease-outputting message (#10)causes each subscriber station to cease combining and to display onlythe transmitted video information at its monitor, 202M; to stopgenerating and outputting particular output information; to generatesecond video overlay image information; then to resume generating andoutputting said particular output information. The fact that theparticular output information generated and outputted is printinformation that is outputted to a printer is only incidental to thepresent invention. Receiving said 1st cease-outputting message (#10)could as easily cause each subscriber station to stop generating andoutputting then to resume generating and outputting any form of computeroutput information, outputted to any appropriate computer peripheraldevice. Said output could be data and/or computer program instructionsoutputted to a disk drive and caused to be recorded or outputted to amodem and caused to be transmitted. Said output could be audio and/orvideo information outputted to a monitor, 202M, and caused to be emittedas sound and/or displayed as picture information.)

Then, having caused locally generated video images to cease appearing inthe upper left hand corner of subscriber station television screens(including “$1,071.32” at the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F, “$1,080.64” atthe station of said second subscriber, and “$1,138.92” at the station ofsaid third subscriber), immediately said studio ceases transmitting avideo image of said person pointing to the upper left hand corner of thetelevision screen.

Promptly said program originating studio commences transmitting thevideo image of the so-called “talking head” of said person standing infront of a background image of the logo of said program, “Exotic Mealsof India,” and transmits audio information of said announcer saying:

-   -   “Super Discount Supermarkets is proud to sponsor the television        series, ‘Exotic Meals of India.’ Being truly exotic, many of the        ingredients, can't be found in average supermarkets, but your        friendly Super Discount manager is happy to supply all of these        ingredients to your family. Tonight your personal recipe and        shopping list call for Patak's”

Then said program originating studio embeds and transmits said 4thcommence-outputting message (#10). Said message consists of a “00”header; said audio-overlay execution segment information that isaddressed to URS microcomputers, 205; appropriate meter-monitorinformation including “program unit identification code” information andoverlay number field information; and any required padding bits. Andeach intermediate transmission station (including the intermediatestation of FIG. 6 and said second intermediate station) receives andretransmits said message.

Receiving said 4th commence-outputting message (#10) causes apparatus ateach subscriber station that has completed the generation of secondaudio image information at audio RAM to combine its specific audioinformation to the transmitted audio and to emit sound of its combinedaudio. At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F, decoder, 203, receiving said4th commence-outputting message (#10) causes decoder, 203, to execute“SOUND ON” at the microcomputer, 205 of said station. Automatically,microcomputer, 205, transmits to monitor, 202M, via audio informationtransmission means, one instance of the information at the audio RAM ofsaid microcomputer, 205, causing the emission of sound of said audioinformation, and the subscriber of said station can hear saidannouncer's voice saying:

-   -   “low-salt Vindaloo”.        (Simultaneously, the microcomputer, 205, at the station of said        second subscriber transmits to the monitor, 202M, of said        station, via audio transmission means, one instance of its        information at audio RAM, and said second subscriber can hear        said announcer's voice saying    -   “Mild version Quick”.        And at the station of said third subscriber, emission at the        monitor, 202M, of sound of said announcer's voice saying    -   “Hot version Quick”        is caused by the microcomputer, 205.)

(The instructions of the program instruction sets of Q.1 and Q.2 do notcause subscriber stations to clear audio RAM after the audio combiningcaused by receiving said 4th commence-outputting message (#10).)

Then after an interval that is long enough for each subscriber stationto emit sound of its specific audio RAM information, said studiotransmits audio information of the announcer saying:

-   -   “Curry Paste. Your local Super Discount Supermarket has a        complete line of Patak's Curry Paste products in stock. Call the        telephone number,”

At this moment, said program originating studio embeds and transmitssaid 5th commence-outputting message (#10). Said message consists of a“00” header; execution segment information that is identical to theexecution segment of the second message of the “Wall Street Week”example, appropriate meter-monitor information including “program unitidentification code” information and overlay number field information,and any required padding bits. And each intermediate transmissionstation (including the intermediate station of FIG. 6 and said secondintermediate station) receives and retransmits said message.

Receiving said message causes each subscriber station that has completedthe generation of second overlay image information at video RAM tocombine its specific image information with the conventional videoinformation transmitted by said studio and cause its specific monitor,202M, to display the combined video information. At the station of FIGS.7 and 7F, receiving said 5th commence-outputting message (#10) causesdecoder, 203, to execute “GRAPHICS ON” at the PC-MicroKey system ofmicrocomputer, 205. Automatically, microcomputer, 205, combines itsspecific video RAM binary image information of “456-1414” with itsreceived conventional video information. And automatically 456-1414 isdisplayed in the lower middle portion of the picture screen of monitor,202M. (Simultaneously and in the same fashion, apparatus at the stationof said second subscriber causes the specific video RAM imageinformation of said station, which is “224-3121”, to be displayed in thelower middle portion of the picture screen of the monitor, 202M, of saidstation. And at the station of said third subscriber, in the samefashion, apparatus causes the specific video RAM image information ofsaid station, which is “623-3000”, to be displayed in the lower middleportion of the picture screen of the monitor, 202M, of said station.)

Said studio then transmits audio information of the announcer saying,

-   -   “that you see on your screen to have your order delivered to        your door. Or if you enter on your Widget Signal Generator and        Local Input the information that you see here on your screen,”

Said studio transmits video information of said person pointing to theupper left hand corner of the video screen, and the image of “TV568*”appears in said corner. Thus each viewer—including the subscriber of thestation of FIGS. 7 and 7F, said second subscriber, and said thirdsubscriber—can see TV568* in the upper left hand corner of the pictureon the monitor, 202M, of his station.

Said studio then transmits audio information of the announcer saying,

-   -   “your Super Discount manager will see that all the ingredients        that you need for your personal ‘Exotic Meals of India’ fish        curry recipe are delivered to you in time for dinner tomorrow.        And as a special inducement to enter “TV568*” on your Widget        Signal Generator and Local Input now, your manager promises to        include one jar of Patak's”

Then said program originating studio embeds and transmits said 6thcommence-outputting message (#10). Said message is identical to the 4thcommence-outputting message (#10) except for different overlay numberfield information.

In the same fashion that applied to receiving the 4thcommence-outputting message (#10), receiving the 6th commence-outputtingmessage (#10) causes apparatus at each subscriber station that hascompleted the generation of second audio image information to combineits specific audio information to the transmitted audio and to emitsound of its combined audio. At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F, decoder,the monitor, 202M, emits sound of said announcer's voice saying:

-   -   “low-salt Vindaloo”.        (Simultaneously, the monitor, 202M, of the station of said        second subscriber emits sound of said announcer's voice saying:    -   “Mild version Quick”.        And at the station of said third subscriber, sound of said        announcer's voice saying:    -   “Hot version Quick”        is emitted at the monitor, 202M.) After causing emission of        audio information of the information at audio RAM once, the        instructions of said program instruction sets of Q.1 and Q.2        cause a microcomputer, 205, to clear audio RAM then pause.

Then after an interval that is long enough for each subscriber stationto emit sound of its specific audio RAM information, said studiotransmits audio information of the announcer saying:

-   -   “Curry Paste. Do it now! Enter ‘TV568*’ on your Widget Signal        Generator and Local Input or call the telephone number that you        see on your television screen.”

At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F, the subscriber enters TV568* at thekeyboard of local input, 225, which causes said input, 225, to transmitthe aforementioned process-local-input instruction and said TV568*information to the controller, 20, of the signal processor, 200, of saidstation. (And at the station of said third subscriber, said thirdsubscriber enters TV568* at the keyboard of his local input, 225.)

Receiving said instruction and information causes the controller, 20, ateach station where TV568* is entered, in a predetermined fashion, toretain said TV568* information at particular last-local-input-* memory.

Coincidentally, said program originating studio embeds and transmitssaid 2nd cease-outputting message (#10). Said message is identical tothe aforementioned third message of the “Wall Street Week” example.

Receiving said 2nd cease-outputting message (#10) causes each subscriberstation to cease combining and to display only the transmitted videoinformation at its monitor, 202M. At the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F,receiving said 2nd cease-outputting message (#10) causes decoder, 203,to execute “GRAPHICS OFF” at the PC-MicroKey System of microcomputer,205. Automatically, said PC-MicroKey ceases combining its specific imageinformation with the conventional video information transmitted by saidstudio, and the image of 456-1414 disappears from the lower middleportion of the picture screen of monitor, 202M. (Simultaneously and inthe same fashion, at the station of said second subscriber, the image of224-3121 disappears from the lower middle portion of the picture screenof the monitor, 202M, and at the station of said third subscriber, theimage of 623-3000 disappears from the lower middle portion of thepicture screen of the monitor, 202M.)

Receiving said 2nd cease-outputting message (#10) causes each subscriberstation then to clear video RAM and continue executing instructions ofits specific program instruction set of Q.1 or Q.2.

In due course, said studio ceases transmitting programming of saidprogram unit of Q and recommences transmitting programming of said“Exotic Meals of India” program.

Subsequently, so continuing executing instructions of its specificprogram instruction set of Q.1 or Q.2 causes apparatus at eachsubscriber station where TV568* has been inputted to a local input, 225,automatically to telephone a shopping list order. At the station ofFIGS. 7 and 7F, under control of said program instruction set of Q.1,microcomputer, 205, measures elapsed time, in a fashion well known inthe art, and determining that ninety seconds have passed from receivingsaid 2nd cease-outputting message (#10) causes microcomputer, 205, toinput particular check-for-entered-TV568*-and-respond instructions tothe controller, 20, of signal processor, 200. Receiving saidinstructions causes controller, 20, to determine that TV567* informationexists at said last-local-input-* memory and to transmit particularTV567*-entered information to microcomputer, 205. Receiving saidinformation causes microcomputer, 205, under control of said programinstruction set of Q.1, to access said D:DATA_OF.ITS file; to selectinformation from said file of the aforementionedlocal-automatic-order-taking telephone number of the supermarket chainapplicable in the vicinity of the intermediate transmission station ofFIG. 6 which is 1-(800) 247-8700; to transmit to controller, 20,particular call-this-number-and-respond-with-“A: SHOPPING. EXE”instructions and information of 1-(800) 247-8700; and to recordparticular instructions at the recording medium of the disk at the A:disk drive of microcomputer, 205, in a file named “SHOPPING.EXE”.Receiving said call-this-number-and-respond-with-“A:SHOPPING.EXE”instructions and information of 1-(800) 247-8700 causes controller, 20,in the fashion described above, to cause auto dialer, 24, to dial thetelephone number, 1-(800) 247-8700. Automatically, in the fashiondescribed above, controller, 20, establishes telephone communicationswith a computer of said super market chain at a remote station. Thensaid call-this-number-and-respond-with-“A:SHOPPING.EXE” instructionscause controller, 20, to cause the instruction “A:SHOPPING.EXE” to beentered to microcomputer, 205. Entering said instruction causesmicrocomputer, 205, to execute the instructions of said file,“SHOPPING.EXE” as a machine language job. Under control of saidinstructions, microcomputer, 205, transmits via controller, 20, to saidcomputer at a remote station information of the street address of thestation of FIGS. 7 and 7F (selected from the file, A:DATA_OF.URS) andcomplete information of the aforementioned file, A:SHOPPING.LST, whichis the shopping list of the subscriber of said station. (At the stationof said second subscriber where TV567* has not been entered at the localinput, 225, the controller, 20, does not transmit TV567*-enteredinformation to the microcomputer, 205, and all apparatus ceasefunctioning under control of program instruction set of Q.1instructions. And at the station of said third subscriber where TV567*has been entered at the local input, 225, in similar fashion, theinstructions of the program instruction set of Q.2 cause apparatus totelephone the aforementioned local-automatic-order-taking telephonenumber of the vicinity of said second intermediate station which is1-(800) 371-2100 and to transmit information of the street address andshopping list of said third subscriber.)

In due course, after sufficient time has elapsed for each subscriberstation where TV567* has been entered at a local input, 225, to recordinformation of a file named “SHOPPING.EXE” at a disk drive, said programoriginating studio embeds and transmits the aforementioneddisband-URS-microcomputers-205 message (#10). Said message consists of a“10” header, information of a particular SPAMseparate-subscriber-station-microcomputers-from-programming-transmissionexecution segment that is addressed to URS signal processors, 200, andany required padding bits.

Receiving said message at the station of FIGS. 7 and 7F causes TV signaldecoder, 203, to detect said message and input said message to thecontroller, 20, of signal processor, 200.

Receiving said message causes controller, 20, to separate microcomputer,205, from the computer system of said program originating studio and tocause the video and audio output transmissions of tuner, 215, to beinputted to monitor, 202M. Automatically, controller, 20, executesparticular controlled functions and determines, in a predeterminedfashion, that microcomputer, 205, is outputting television audio andvideo to monitor, 202M, that microcomputer, 205, receives from tuner,215. Automatically, controller, 20, causes matrix switch, 258, toconfigure its switches so as to cease transferring audio information andvideo information inputted from said microcomputer, 205, to monitor,202M, then to commence transferring audio information and videoinformation inputted from said tuner, 215, to monitor, 202M. Thenautomatically, controller, 20, causes matrix switch, 258, to ceasetransferring audio information and video information inputted fromtuner, 215, to dividers, 202D and 4, respectively. Automatically,decoder, 203, ceases receiving SPAM information.

Receiving said disband-URS-microcomputers-205 message (#10) may alsocause controller, 20, (under control of information and instructionspreprogrammed at controller, 20) to cause the microcomputer, 205, of thestation of FIGS. 7 and 7F to combine to and commence processing the SPAMinformation of the computer system of a second program originatingstudio that is different from said studio that originates thetransmission of program unit Q (or in the case of example #9, that isdifferent from the recorder, 76, that transmits the prerecordedprogramming of Q). In this case, controller, 20, causes appropriatereceiver apparatus to receive the transmission of said second studio;causes matrix switch, 258, to input audio and video information of thetransmission of said programming to dividers, 202D and 4, respectively;and inputs an interrupt signal of new-channel-input information to thecontroller, 39, of decoder, 203.

Alternatively, receiving said disband-URS-microcomputers-205 message(#10) may also cause controller, 20, (under control of information andinstructions preprogrammed at controller, 20) to cause themicrocomputer, 205, revert from broadcast control to local control. Inthis case, in a predetermined fashion that is functionally the reverseof invoking broadcast control, controller, 20, causes microcomputer,205, to clear all RAM (except for that portion of RAM containingoperating system information) and all CPU registers and any otherdesignated processors; then to load at RAM the information of aparticular file such as “INTERUPT.BAK” that exists at a designated placeon a particular disk at a particular disk drive; then to record atparticular CPU registers selected information at designated locations atRAM; then to cause said CPU to resume processing in the fashion of aresumption that follows an interrupt and that is well known in the art.In so doing, controller, 20; causes microcomputer, 205, to revert frombroadcast control to local control; to commence processing theparticular job that was interrupted when broadcast control was invoked;and to commence so processing said job at the particular instruction atwhich invoking broadcast control interrupted the processing of said job.(Hereinafter, the steps associated with returning a microcomputer, 205,from broadcast control to local control are called “revoking broadcastcontrol.”)

(Receiving said disband-URS-microcomputers-205 message (#10) at thestations of said second subscriber and of said third subscriber causesapparatus at said stations to separate the microcomputers, 205, of saidstations from the transmission of said studio that originates thetransmission of program unit Q [or in the case of example #9, from thetransmission of said recorder, 76] and may cause apparatus at eitherstation, in the preprogrammed fashion of said apparatus, to cause amicrocomputer, 205, to combine to and commence processing the SPAMinformation of the computer system of a program originating studio thatis different from said studio [or in the case of example #9, that isdifferent from said recorder, 76] or may cause said apparatus to revokebroadcast control [thereby causing said apparatus to resume processing astation specific local job].)

(NOTE: Except for the content of their meter-monitor information, themessages transmitted in example #9 by the intermediate transmissionstation of FIG. 6 to the subscriber stations of its field distributionsystem, 93, are identical to the messages transmitted to the same fielddistribution system, 93, in example #10 and cause the same functioning.More precisely, except for their meter-monitor information content, saidalign-URS-microcomputers-205 message (#9), synch-SPAM-reception message(#9), data-module-set message (#9), program-instruction-set message(#9), 1st commence-outputting message (#9), 2nd commence-outputtingmessage (#9), 3rd commence-outputting message (#9), 1st cease-outputtingmessage (#9), 4th commence-outputting message (#9), 5thcommence-outputting message (#9), 6th commence-outputting message (#9),2nd cease-outputting message (#9), and disband-URS-microcomputers-205message (#9) are all identical to the messages of like name of example#10. Furthermore, said program instruction set of Q of example #9 isidentical to said program instruction set of Q.1 of example #10. Thusexcept as regards the collection of meter-monitor record information,transmitting the messages of example #9 causes precisely the samefunctioning at the stations of FIGS. 7 and 7F and of said secondsubscriber as is caused by transmitting the messages of example #10.)

(In addition to the above described functioning, transmitting saidmessages in examples #9 and #10 causes apparatus at subscriber stationsof particularly slow microcomputers, 205, said field distributionsystem, 93, to function in the restoring efficiency fashion describedabove. Receiving each of said commence-outputting messages causes adecoder, 203, of at least one of said stations to input particularsecond-condition-test-failed instructions to its associatedmicrocomputer, 205, causing said microcomputer, 205, to jump to andcommence processing additional instructions of its received programinstruction set of Q.1 rather th an to commence outputting locallygenerated combined medium programming. For example, receiving said 1stcommence-outputting message (#10) (or (#9)) causes at least one decoder,203, of at least one station to input the aforementionedsecond-condition-test-failed instructions to a microcomputer, 205,causing at least one microcomputer, 205, to jump to and execute theinstructions caused to be executed by the aforementionedclear-and-continue instructions described above. Automatically, saidmicrocomputer, 205, ceases its current function; stores particularinformation at particular instruction-at-which-to-resume memory thatidentifies the location of the particular instruction at which to resumesaid function; executes the aforementioned when-interrupted portion ofsaid program instruction set of Q.1 [or of Q in the case of example #9];and determines, under control of the instructions of said portion, thatsaid second-condition-test-failed instructions constitute the firstinstance of video overlay second-condition-test-failed instructions thatmicrocomputer, 205, has received while under control of said programinstruction set of Q.1 [or of Q]. So determining causes saidmicrocomputer, 205, to jump to the aforementionedfirst-clear-and-continue address of the instructions of said programinstruction set of Q.1 [or of Q] and to commence executingfirst-clear-and-continue instructions at said address. Automatically,said microcomputer, 205, clears video RAM; sets the background color ofvideo RAM to transparent black; determines that 1st working memory ofsaid microcomputer, 205, holds particular quadrant information; andcauses selected binary image information of said number a telephonenumber to be placed at bit locations that produce video imageinformation in the lower middle portion of a video screen.Automatically, said microcomputer, 205, places information at particularFlag-interrupt register memory which information causes saidmicrocomputer, 205, subsequently to jump over and not reexecute saidfirst-clear-and-continue instructions. Then automatically, saidmicrocomputer, 205, resumes executing instructions of said programinstruction set of Q.1 [or of Q] at the location identified by theinformation at said instruction-at-which-to-resume memory.)

Preprogramming Receiver Station Operating Systems

So-called “operating systems” are well known in the art and generallycomprise the most basic form of processor control instructions. In orderto control fundamental aspects of the processing of any given data file,such as a DATA_OF.ITS or DATA_OF.URS file, under control of any givencomputer program, such as a PROGRAM.EXE program, a computer is usuallypreprogrammed with an operating system that controls such fundamentalaspects as, for example, so-called “input/output” functions. One suchsystem that is commonly known as “PC-DOS” or “MS-DOS” is an operatingsystem of the IBM personal computer, commonly known as the “IBM PC.”(PC-DOS or MS-DOS is described in Disk Operating System of the IBMPersonal Computer Computer Language Series.)

Many computers are designed to hold operating system instructions atRAM. The IBM PC is one such computer. When power is turned on to an IBMPC, under control of particular instructions that are permanentlyrecorded at ROM and are commonly known as “ROM BIOS”, said PC accesses adisk at a particular disk drive and loads the instructions of aparticular prerecorded file from said disk to particular locations ofRAM in a fashion well known in the art that is commonly known as“booting.”

One advantage of recording operating system instructions at memory suchas RAM that can be conveniently overwritten relates to expanding systemfunctions. New so-called “routines” can easily be entered into a givensystem to control existing apparatus of said system in new functions,and the operating system of a given system can be expanded easily tocontrol newly installed apparatus. Thus many versions usually exist ofany given operating system which versions have greater or lessercapacities. For example, versions 1.00, 1.10, 2.00, etc. exist of PC-DOSand MS-DOS. Each version has capacity for controlling the operation ofan IBM PC, and later versions generally have expanded capacities incomparison to earlier versions.

Efficient operation of any given computer system of the presentinvention requires capacity to control the preprogramming of theoperating system software of receiver station apparatus.

Receiver station apparatus of the present invention is extensive and canvary greatly from station to station. For example, apparatus thatrequires preprogramming at the station of FIG. 7, includesmicrocomputer, 205; controllers, 12 and 20, of signal processor, 200;the RAMs associated with the processors, 39B and 39D, and with thecontrol processor, 39J, of decoder, 30, of signal processor, 200; andthe RAMs associated with the processors, 39B and 39D, and with thecontrol processor, 39J, of other decoders of said station such asdecoders, 203 and 282. Other ultimate receiver stations can include lessapparatus, more apparatus, or simply different apparatus. (For example,one receiver station may have the decoder, 203/SPAM controller, 205C,apparatus of example #1 while another station has the preferred decoder,203, apparatus of example #3.) Furthermore, the complete computer systemof a remote network origination and control station such as the programoriginating studio that transmits the program unit of Q in example #10involves apparatus not only at ultimate receiver stations but also atintermediate transmission stations.

One objective of the unified system of programming communication of thepresent invention is standardization of receiver station operatingsystems. With standardization, any given transmission station such asthe program originating studio of example #10 can assemble and takecontrol of a computer system of the computers of selected subscriber,stations in the fashion described above in example #7 without any needto preprogram system software at any apparatus of said selectedsubscriber stations.

Another objective of the present invention is flexibility andconvenience in reprogramming operating systems in order to expand systemfunctions.

The present invention provides means and methods whereby one remotesystem master control station can preprogram all intermediatetransmission stations and ultimate receiver station in a givengeographical area (such as, for example, the continental United Statesof America) by transmitting a given sequence of SPAM messages thatcontain operating system instructions which sequence is received at andprocessed by all receiver stations and from which selected stationsselect selected messages that contain instructions of specificrelevance. Each message is addressed to specific station SPAM controlapparatus such as ITS computers, 73, in the case of intermediatetransmission stations and URS signal processors, 200, in the case ofultimate receiver stations. Each message consists of a “01” header;execution segment information addressed to the appropriate station SPAMcontrol apparatus; meter-monitor information that identifies not only aspecific preprogrammable apparatus such as URS decoders, 203, but alsothe particular version of said apparatus (for example, URS decoders,203, of the version illustrated above in example #1 rather than example#3); padding bits as required; an information segment that consists,itself, of a particular SPAM message without an end of file signal; andan end of file signal. The information of each information segmentconsist of a “01” header; execution segment information addressed tosaid specific preprogrammable apparatus version which segmentinformation causes said apparatus version to invoke its ROMpreprogramming instructions; appropriate meter-monitor information thatmay include particular meter instructions; padding bits as required; andan information segment that contains the operating system instructionsof said specific apparatus version.

Each appropriate receiver station apparatus that receives and processesa SPAM message of said sequence is preprogrammed with the necessarycontrolled-function-invoking information and controlled functioninstructions invoked by said message, and the information andinstructions so invoked are preprogrammed at ROM.

Likewise, each specific receiver station SPAM control apparatus hasaccess to specific information that is preprogrammed at non-volatilememory that identifies not only the specific preprogrammable apparatus(such as URS decoders, 203) of said station but also the particularversion of said apparatus (for example, URS decoders, 203, of theversion illustrated above in example #3).

FIG. 8 illustrates the installation of the station specific non-volatilememory apparatus that identifies specific preprogrammable apparatus ofthe station of FIG. 7. Said specific non-volatile memory apparatus isstation specific EPROM, 20B. Station specific EPROM, 20B, isreprogrammed whenever apparatus is installed at or removed from thestation of FIGS. 7 and 8 and contains not only information thatidentifies specific preprogrammable apparatus of said station but alsoswitch control instructions that identify which particular apparatusinput to the specific inputs of matrix switch, 259; that identify whichparticular outputs of said matrix switch, 259, output to whichparticular station apparatus; and that control switch controller, 20A,in causing matrix switch, 259, to configure its switches to transferinformation from one given station apparatus to another. Stationspecific EPROM, 20B, is mounted in a cartridge and inserted manuallyinto switch controller, 20A, in a fashion well known in the art, at aport in the equipment case of signal processor, 200. Station specificEPROM, 20B, is also preprogrammed with information of a specificoperating system master control frequency of the station of FIG. 7.(FIG. 8 also illustrates other selected apparatus and programming andcontrol information transmission means that process SPAM information inthe course of the preprogramming of operating system instructions atselected apparatus of the station of FIG. 7.)

At other ultimate receiver stations, other station specific EPROMs, 20B,are installed in the same fashion with each station specific EPROM, 20B,containing programmed information of the specific apparatus andapparatus versions of its specific station and a specific operatingsystem master control frequency. (Similar station specific non-volatilememory apparatus is installed at each computers, 73, of an intermediatestation such as the station of FIG. 6 which non-volatile memoryapparatus identifies the specific preprogrammable apparatus of saidstation.)

An example that focuses, in particular, on preprogramming operatingsystem instructions at the station of FIGS. 7 and 8 illustratespreprogramming receiver station operating systems.

At a particular time such as, for example, 4:00 AM Eastern Standard Timeon Jan. 3, 1989, the controller, 20, of the signal processor, 200, ofsaid station causes the oscillator, 6, switch, 1, and mixer, 3, of thesignal processor, 200, of the station of FIG. 7 to input a selectedfrequency to the decoder, 30, and causes said decoder, 30, to commenceprocessing the information of said frequency. Said selected frequency isthe specific operating system master control frequency of theinformation preprogrammed at station specific EPROM, 20B. (Saidcontroller, 20, may be caused so to function in any of the fashionsdescribed above that cause a controller, 20, to function. For example,said remote system master control station may transmit particular SPAMmessage information that causes apparatus at each receiver station, inthe fashion of the news items of “AUTOMATING U. R. STATIONS . . .RECEIVING SELECTED PROGRAMMING” above, to tune to and commenceprocessing SPAM information embedded in its preprogrammed specificoperating system master control frequency at a selected decoder whichdecoder is said decoder, 30. Controller, 20, may also cause selectedstation apparatus such as earth station, 250, and satellite receivercircuitry, 251, to receive the transmission of said frequency and causeselected station apparatus such as matrix switch, 258, to input saidtransmission to a selected contact of said switch, 1.)

At 4:01 AM, said remote system master control station transmits a SPAMend of file signal causing each receiver station, including the stationof FIGS. 7 and 8, to commence identifying and processing the individualSPAM messages embedded in said transmission.

Then said remote master control station commences transmitting saidsequence of SPAM messages that contain operating system instructionscausing each receiver station to select those specific SPAM messagesthat contain information applicable to specific preprogrammableapparatus and to program said apparatus.

Said remote station transmits a first SPAM message that containsmeter-monitor information of an APPLE II microcomputer, 205, apparatusversion and an information segment that contains SPAM messageinformation of APPLE II microcomputer operating system instructions.(APPLE II microcomputers are well known in the art.)

Receiving said message causes the apparatus of the station of FIGS. 7and 8 to determine that the microcomputer, 205, of said station is notan APPLE II microcomputer and to discard all information of saidmessage. Automatically, decoder, 30, detects said message and executesparticular controlled function instructions that cause decoder, 30, totransfer all information of said message, via buffer/comparator, 8, tocontroller, 12. Automatically, controller, 12, loads the commandinformation (and associated padding bits) of said message at itsSPAM-input-signal register memory, executes particular controlledfunctions, selects the particular meter-monitor information thatidentifies a specific preprogrammable apparatus version, and inputs tocontroller, 20, a particular preprogrammedoperating-instructions-received-for-specific-apparatus instruction as aninterrupt signal together with said information that identifies aspecific apparatus version. Receiving said instruction and informationcauses controller, 20, to transfer said instruction and information toswitch controller, 20A, causing switch controller, 20A, to determine, ina predetermined fashion, that no information of an APPLE IImicrocomputer, 205, exists at station specific EPROM, 20B. Sodetermining causes switch controller, 20A, to transmit a particularpreprogrammed discard-operating-system-message instruction tocontroller, 20, causing controller, 20, to transmit said instruction tocontroller, 12. Receiving said instruction causes controller, 12, todiscard all information of said first SPAM message. (Simultaneously, atstations where the microcomputers, 205, are APPLE II microcomputers,receiving said first message causes apparatus, in a fashion describedmore fully below, to cause the operating system instructions of saidmessage to be recorded at disk drives of said APPLE II microcomputers,205, and so-called “booted” at said APPLE II microcomputers, 205.)

Then said remote station transmits a second SPAM message that containsmeter-monitor information of an IBM PC microcomputer, 205, apparatusversion and an information segment that contains SPAM messageinformation of IBM PC microcomputer operating system instructions.

Receiving said message causes apparatus of the station of FIGS. 7 and 8to determine that the microcomputer, 205, of said station is an IBM PCmicrocomputer and to input the contained SPAM message information ofsaid second SPAM message to decoder, 203. Automatically, decoder, 30,detects said message and transfers all information of said message tocontroller, 12. Automatically, controller, 12, loads at itsSPAM-input-signal memory the command information of said message and anypadding bits immediately following said command information, selects themeter-monitor information that identifies a specific preprogrammableapparatus version—that is, an IBM PC—and inputs to controller, 20, saidoperating-instructions-received-for-specific-apparatus instructiontogether with said information that identifies an apparatus version.Receiving said instruction and information causes controller, 20, totransfer said instruction and information to switch controller, 20A,causing switch controller, 20A, to determine, in a predeterminedfashion, that said meter-monitor information that identifies a specificpreprogrammable apparatus version matches information that ispreprogrammed at station specific EPROM, 20B, and that identifiesspecific preprogrammable apparatus of the station of FIGS. 7 and 8—inother words, to determine that an IBM PC is the microcomputer, 205, ofsaid station. So determining causes switch controller, 20A, in apredetermined fashion, to cause matrix switch, 259, to configure itsswitches so as to transfer information inputted from controller, 12, todecoder, 203, then causes switch controller, 20A, to transmit aparticular preprogrammed transfer-operating-system-message instructionto controller, 20, causing controller, 20, to transmit said instructionto controller, 12. Receiving said instruction causes controller, 12, totransmit to matrix switch, 259, all information of said second SPAMmessage after said command and padding bit information recorded at saidSPAM-input-signal register memory. In so doing, controller, 12,transfers the information segment and end of file signal of said secondmessage to matrix switch, 259, and causes said switch, 259, to inputsaid information to decoder, 203. (Simultaneously, at stations where themicrocomputers, 205, are APPLE II microcomputers, receiving said secondmessage causes the controllers, 12, [functioning with controllers, 20and 20A, and with EPROMs, 20A] to cause all information of said messageto be discarded.)

Said information that is inputted to decoder, 203, is the contained SPAMmessage of said second SPAM message, and having been separated from thecommand information and immediately following padding bits of saidsecond SPAM message, said contained SPAM message is a SPAM message inits own right. Said contained message consists of a “01” header;execution segment information that is addressed to URS decoders, 203, ofIBM PCs and that causes said decoders, 203, each to invoke its ROMinstructions for entering operating system instructions into itsmicrocomputer, 205; appropriate meter-monitor information that mayinclude particular meter instructions; padding bits as required; and aninformation segment that contains the SPAM operating system instructionsof an IBM PC microcomputer. Immediately following the last bit of saidinformation segment is the end of file signal of said second SPAMmessage which is also the end of file signal of said contained SPAMmessage. (Another benefit of the message composition fashion of thepresent invention, which places distinctive signals at the end ofmessages rather than the beginning, is capacity to transmit any numberof contained SPAM messages within the information segment of any givenSPAM message that has an information segment and thus that ends with anend of file signal. Said contained messages may be sequential messagesor may be nested in the sense of each being contained in the informationsegment of its preceding message.)

Receiving said contained SPAM message causes decoder, 203, to cause theoperating system instructions of said message to be recorded on therecording medium of a disk at a particular disk drive of microcomputer,205, and to cause microcomputer, 205, to boot the operating system sorecorded. Automatically, decoder, 203, executes the controlled functionsof its ROM instructions for entering operating system instructions intomicrocomputer, 205. Automatically, decoder, 205, interrupts theoperation of the CPU of microcomputer, 205, and inputs particularinstructions to said CPU that cause microcomputer, 205, to load receivedinformation in a file at RAM. Automatically, decoder, 203, commencesinputting the information segment information of said contained messageto microcomputer, 205, and microcomputer, 205, records said inputtedinformation in said file at RAM. Then receiving said end of file signalcauses decoder, 203, to cease inputting information segment informationto microcomputer, 205, and to cause microcomputer, 205, to record theinformation of said file in a designated file such as “COMMAND.COM” on adisk at a designated disk drive such as drive A:. In so doing, receivingsaid message causes the operating system instructions in said message tobe recorded at the particular disk drive and in the particular file fromwhich the ROM BIOS of said microcomputer, 205, is preprogrammed to loadthe operating system of said microcomputer, 205, at boot time. Whenmicrocomputer, 205, completes recording the information of said file atsaid disk drive, microcomputer, 205, inputs particular preprogrammedfile-recorded information to decoder, 203. Receiving said file-recordedinformation causes decoder, 203, under control of said ROM instructionsfor entering operating system instructions, to turn power to saidmicrocomputer, 205, off then on (which decoder, 205, has capacity todo). Automatically, microcomputer, 205, under control of theinstructions of said ROM BIOS, boots the instructions of the disk drivefile A:COMMAND.COM in a fashion well known in the art, loads theoperating system instructions of said file (which are the operatingsystem instructions of said contained SPAM message) at operating systemmemory, and commences to function at so-called “operating system level”under control of said instructions. (Simultaneously, at other stationswhere the microcomputers, 205, are IBM PC microcomputers, receiving saidcontained SPAM message of said second SPAM message causes otherdecoders, 203, and microcomputers, 205, to cause the operating systeminstructions of said contained message to be recorded and booted in thesame fashion.)

Then said remote station transmits a third SPAM message that containsmeter-monitor information of a decoder, 203, apparatus of the example #3version and an information segment that contains SPAM messageinformation of decoder, 203, of example #3 operating systeminstructions. (The operating system of a SPAM apparatus such as adecoder, 203, contains all instructions required at said apparatus tocontrol the operation of said apparatus. SPAM apparatus operating systeminstructions include, in particular, the controlled functioninstructions and controlled-function-invoking information of saidapparatus. Permanent operation system instructions of any given SPAMapparatus are recorded at the ROM of said apparatus.)

Receiving said third message causes apparatus of the station of FIGS. 7and 8 to determine that a decoder, 203, apparatus of the example #3version exists at said station and to input the contained SPAM messageinformation of said third SPAM message to decoder, 203. Automatically,decoder, 30, detects said message and transfers all information of saidmessage to controller, 12. Automatically, controller, 12, selects themeter-monitor information that identifies a specific preprogrammableapparatus version—that is, an example #3 version of a decoder, 203—andinputs to controller, 20, saidoperating-instructions-received-for-specific-apparatus instructiontogether with said information that identifies an apparatus version.Automatically, controller, 20, transfers said instruction andinformation to switch controller, 20A, causing switch controller, 20A,to determine, in a predetermined fashion, that said information thatidentifies an apparatus version matches information that ispreprogrammed at EPROM, 20B, and that identifies the decoder, 203, ofsaid station. Automatically, switch controller, 20A, causes matrixswitch, 259, to configure its switches so as to transfer informationinputted from controller, 12, to decoder, 203, then transmits saidtransfer-operating-system-message instruction to controller, 20, causingcontroller, 20, to transmit said instruction to controller, 12, andcausing controller, 12, to transmit to matrix switch, 259, allinformation of the information segment and end of file signal of saidthird SPAM message. In so doing, controller, 12, inputs said informationsegment and end of file signal to decoder, 203. (Simultaneously, atstations where the decoders, 203, are of the version of example #1,receiving said third message causes controllers, 12, [functioning withcontrollers, 20 and 20A, and with EPROMs, 20A] to discard allinformation of said message.)

Said information that is inputted to decoder, 203, is the contained SPAMmessage of said third SPAM message and is a complete SPAM message in itsown right. Said contained message consists of a “01” header; executionsegment information that is addressed to URS decoders, 203, of theexample #3 version and that causes said decoders, 203, each to invokeits ROM instructions for entering operating system instructions into itsRAM; appropriate meter-monitor information that may include particularmeter instructions; padding bits as required; and an information segmentthat contains the SPAM operating system instructions of an example #3version decoder, 203. Immediately following the last bit of saidinformation segment is the end of file signal of said third SPAM messagewhich is also the end of file signal of said contained SPAM message.

Receiving said contained SPAM message causes decoder, 203, to record theoperating system instructions of said message at particular operatingsystem locations at the RAMs of decoder, 203, and to commence operatingunder control of said instructions. Automatically, control processor,39J, compares the execution segment information of said message tocontrolled-function-invoking information and determines that saidexecution segment information matched particularload-operating-system-of-203 information that is preprogrammed at theROM associated with control processor, 39J, and that invokes particularload-operating-system-of-203 instructions that are preprogrammed at theROM associated with control processor, 39J. Automatically, controlprocessor, 39J, executes said instructions and, under control of saidinstructions, causes processor, 39B, to cease receiving information frombuffer, 39A, then loads all information of the information segment ofsaid message sequentially at the RAM associated with control processor,39J, (which has capacity to contain all information of an operatingsystem of an example #3 version decoder, 203) starting at the first bitlocation of said RAM and overwriting, if necessary, the information ofall bit locations of said RAM. Then, receiving interrupt information ofan end of file signal from EOFS valve, 39F, causes control processor,39J, automatically, under control of said load-operating-system-of-203instructions, to load all information so loaded at selected operatingsystem locations of decoder, 203. Automatically, control processor, 39J,selects particular information at particular first bit locations of saidRAM (which information is particular first binary information of theinformation segment of said contained SPAM message) and determines thecomposition of the operating system information so recorded at RAM byprocessing said information in a predetermined fashion under control ofsaid load-operating-system-of-203 instructions. Automatically, controlprocessor, 39J, inputs particular commence-loading-operating-systeminstructions to processor, 39B; selects the binary information ofparticular bit locations at said RAM; and inputs said information toprocessor, 39B, thereby causing processor, 39B, to record saidinformation sequentially at particular operating system locations of theRAM associated with said processor, 39B, beginning at the first bitlocation of said RAM. Automatically, control processor, 39J, then inputssaid commence-loading-operating-system instructions to processor, 39D;selects the binary information of particular bit locations at said RAMassociated with said control processor, 39J; and inputs said informationto processor, 39D, thereby causing processor, 39D, to record saidinformation sequentially at particular operating system locations of theRAM associated with said processor, 39D, beginning at the first bitlocation of said RAM. Automatically, control processor, 39J, thenselects the binary information of a particular first signal word of bitlocations and a particular second signal word of bit locations at saidRAM associated with said control processor, 39J; and inputs saidselected information separately to EOFS valves, 39F and 39H, therebycausing said valves, 39F and 39H, each to record at its EOFS StandardWord Location the information of said first signal word of bit locationsand at its EOFS Standard Length Location the information of said secondsignal word of bit locations. In so doing, receiving said third messagesmay causes said decoder, 203, subsequently to commence detecting end offile signals of new composition and/or length. (In other words,thereafter said valves, 39F and 39H, may detect end of file signals thatare composed of, for example, fifteen sequential instances of “11101110”binary information rather than eleven sequential instances of “11111111”binary information.) Automatically, control processor, 39J, then movesselected binary information of particular bit locations at said RAMassociated with said control processor, 39J, to particular operatingsystem locations of said RAM, beginning at the first bit location ofsaid RAM. In so doing, control processor, 39J, completes causing alloperating system instructions of said contained SPAM message to belocated at the appropriate operating system RAM locations of saiddecoder, 203. Then automatically, under control of saidcommence-loading-operating-system instructions, control processor, 39J,causes all buffer, non-operating system RAM, and non-operating systemregister locations of decoder, 203, (except for buffer, 39A) to becleared; causes all other apparatus of decoder, 203, to commenceprocessing under control of the new operating system instructions;causes processor, 39B, to commence receiving and processing informationfrom buffer, 39A; and commences waiting for information of a SPAM headerunder control, first, of a particular new operating system instructionthat is located at a predetermined location said RAM associated withcontrol processor, 39J. (Simultaneously, at other stations where thedecoders, 203, are of the example #3 version, receiving said third SPAMmessage causes other apparatus to load the operating system instructionsof the contained SPAM message of said third message at the appropriateoperating system RAM locations of said decoders, 203, and causes saiddecoders, 203, to come under control of said instructions in the samefashion.)

Subsequently, said remote station transmits additional operating systemSPAM messages until one SPAM message has been transmitted that isaddressed to each separate version of SPAM apparatus. Each messagecontains meter-monitor information of its apparatus version and aninformation segment that contains SPAM message information operatingsystem instructions of said version.

Receiving each message causes apparatus of each receiving station, inthe fashions described above, to determine whether an apparatus of theapparatus version identified by the meter-monitor information of saidmessage exists at said station, to input a contained SPAM message to anapparatus of said apparatus version if an apparatus of said apparatusversion exists at said station, and to discard all information of saidmessage if no apparatus of said apparatus version exists at saidstation. (Said contained messages that are addressed to apparatus suchas decoder, 30, PRAM controller, 20, and switch controller, 20A, thatexist within the equipment case of a signal processor, 200, are inputtedto said apparatus from controller, 12, via controller, 20, rather thanvia matrix switch, 259.)

Receiving each contained SPAM message causes the apparatus version ofsaid message, in the fashion described above, to record the operatingsystem instructions and information of said message to at particularoperating system locations at the RAMs and EOFS valves that control theoperation of said apparatus and to commence operating under control ofsaid instructions and information.

Following the transmission of each message, for a particular interval oftime no SPAM information is transmitted that is causes any processing atany apparatus of the apparatus version of message. Said interval is thelength of time required for the slowest apparatus of said apparatusversion to receive said message, record the operating systeminstructions and information of said message, and commence operatingunder control of said instructions and information.

The Preferred Spam Header

An important feature of the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is flexibility for expansion while continuing to accommodate,within the unified system, existing information requirements.Subscribers who have simple information demands must have capacity toreceive and process simple SPAM messages with simple subscriber stationapparatus. Such simple messages may contain, for example, onlysixty-four alternate instances of SPAM execution segment binaryinformation, and the optimal length of SPAM execution segmentinformation for such subscribers would be six binary digits.Simultaneously, subscribers who have complex information demands musthave capacity to receive and process more complex SPAM messages thatcontrol more extensive subscriber station apparatus. Controlling thesubscriber station apparatus of subscribers who have complex informationdemands far more execution segment capacity than is provide by a systemthat has only six binary digits of execution segment informationtransmission capacity. And invariably, many different classes ofsubscriber will exist with different information demands and differentoptimal SPAM execution segment lengths.

Two objectives of the unified system of the present invention are toprovide capacity whereby any given transmission can transmit SPAMmessages to all classes of subscribers and capacity whereby theapparatus of subscribers with complex information demands can processnot only complex messages but also simple messages. More precisely, thepresent invention provides means and methods whereby SPAM messages ofdifferent execution segment lengths can be transmitted, intermixed onone transmission, and complex SPAM receiver apparatus with capacity toprocess long SPAM execution segment information can also process shortSPAM execution segment information.

In the preferred embodiment these objectives are realized by having SPAMheader information identify not only the four alternate messagecompositions of the simplest preferred embodiment specified above butalso many alternate versions of message composition.

In the preferred embodiment, the length of a SPAM header—and of theSPAM-header register memory of any given SPAM apparatus—is the length ofone signal word which is one byte of eight binary digits. SPAM messagesare composed of varying numbers and sequences of segments of highestpriority, intermediate priority, and lowest priority segmentinformation. Complex SPAM receiver apparatus have means and arepreprogrammed to process at register memory execution segmentinformation of varying lengths of binary information. And simple SPAMreceiver apparatus are preprogrammed to process at RAM and/or ROM SPAMmessages that are too complex to be processed at their register memories(if only to discard said messages).

A Summary Example #11 . . . and the General Case

The full scope of the unified system of programming communication of thepresent invention comprehends and includes all of the above describedapparatus and methods in all of their variations.

An example #11 that focuses on generating and communicating informationof farmers at a time in the future illustrates a few features of thefull scope of the present invention.

In February, 2027, farmers all over Europe make plans regarding whichcrops to plant for the 2027 growing season. Each farmer is confrontedwith the problem of deciding what mix of crops is most profitable togrow on his property, given his resources. Each farmer has a subscriberstation that is identical to the station of FIG. 7 except that eachstation has two television recorder/players that are recorder/players,217 and 217A; two television tuners, 215 and 215A; and a laser diskplayer, 232. Particular farm information of the specific farm of eachfarmer is recorded in a file named MY_FARM.DAT on a disk at the A: diskdrive of the microcomputer, 205, of each station. The recorded dataincludes, for example, data of the number and size of the individualparcels of property of the farmer's farm, the soil conditions of saidparcels, the aspects of said parcels with respect to sunlight and shade,the history of crop rotation of said parcels, the farm equipment of saidfarmer, and the financial resources of said farmer. Each farmer's laserdisc player, 232, is loaded with a so-call “optical disk” on which isrecorded a file named “PROPRIET.MOD” that contains encrypted informationof a proprietary software module. When accessed, the instructions ofsaid module cause a microcomputer, 205, to analyze any given cropplanting plan and generate information of a recommended planting planand growing method that minimizes the expense of insect and other croppest damage given maximum revenue.

Elsewhere and at the same time, national planners of each member nationof the European Economic Community seek to formulate agricultural policyfor the 2027 growing season and to communicate information of thatpolicy to farmers, thereby influencing the farmers' decisions regardingwhich crops to plant. Each nation has a national intermediatetransmission station that is identical to the intermediate station ofFIG. 6 except that it transmits output information of several individualtelevision channels to receiver stations via a satellite ingeosynchronous orbit over Europe rather than via a cable fielddistribution system. At the computer, 73, of each national intermediatetransmission station is local-formula-and-item information of specificdata, in a file named NATIONAL.AGI, regarding proposed subsidy formulasand items regarding the various alternate crops that farmers of thenation may choose to grow.

Simultaneously, other national planners of each nation seek to formulateother economic policies including tax and revenue raising policies andmonetary policies. At the computer, 73, of each national intermediatetransmission station, in a file named NATIONAL.TAX, islocal-formula-and-item information of specific proposed tax formulas anditems regarding, for example, taxes on farm incomes and proposeddepreciation schedules of farm equipment. And in a file namedNATIONAL.MON is local-formula-and-item information of specific proposedmoney supply growth rates and interest rates.

Each nation also has a plurality of local governments at which localplanners seek to formulate local tax and revenue raising policies andwelfare and subsidized employment policies. Each local government has alocal intermediate transmission station that is identical to theintermediate station of FIG. 6 and that transmits multiplexed outputinformation of several separate television channels via a cable fielddistribution system. At the computer, 73, of each local intermediatetransmission station, in a file named LOCAL.TAX, islocal-formula-and-item information of specific proposed tax formulas anditems regarding, for example, income taxes that relate to farmers andproperty taxes that relate to farm land and equipment. And in a filenamed LOCAL.EMP is local-formula-and-item information of specificproposed employment subsidy formulas relating to local unemployedpersons which formulas vary with respect to the specific educationlevels of the unemployed.

Just as government planners wish to communicate policy information toand receive response information from farmers, so too, businessmen wishto advertise to farmers the benefits of their goods and proprietaryinformation services and to persuade farmers to respond by orderingtheir goods and services.

Each farmer's station has capacity and is preprogrammed to receiveprogramming transmitted via satellite by a particular European masternetwork origination and control station and the specific nationalintermediate transmission station of the specific nation of said farmerand is a subscriber station in the field distribution system of thelocal intermediate transmission station of the farmer's localgovernment.

At 3:00 AM Greenwich Mean Time on Monday, Feb. 15, 2027, the signalprocessor of each receiver station in the nations of the EuropeanEconomic Community—including each national and each local intermediatetransmission station and each ultimate receiver station of afarmer—commences receiving information of the particular mastertransmission of said European master network station. Automatically, thecontroller, 20, of the signal processor of each receiver station in saidnations causes its oscillator, 6, switch, 1, and mixer, 3, to input aselected frequency to its decoder, 30, and causes said decoder, 30, tocommence processing the information of said frequency. Said selectedfrequency is the specific operating system master control frequency ofthe information preprogrammed at its station specific EPROM, 20B.Automatically each receiver station that is equipped with a satelliteearth station (50 in FIG. 6 or 250 in FIG. 7) receives and inputs to itsswitch, 1, information of a particular master transmission of saidEuropean master network station. Then the controller, 20, of the signalprocessor of the signal processor system, 71, of each intermediatetransmission station (of FIG. 6) in said nations causes the computer,73, of said station to cause apparatus of said station also toretransmit information of said master transmission on the frequency of aselected master channel transmission. Automatically each receiverstation that is not equipped with a satellite earth station commencesreceiving and inputting to its switch, 1, information of said mastertransmission that is retransmitted on the frequency of a selected masterchannel transmission of a selected intermediate transmission station.

At 3:10 AM, GMT, said European master network station transmitsparticular SPAM message information, embedded in the information of saidmaster transmission, including a SPAM end of file signal and theaforementioned sequence of SPAM messages that contain operating systeminstructions. In so doing, said European master network station inputsoperating system instructions to all SPAM apparatus and receiver stationcomputers, 73, and microcomputers, 205, thereby causing said apparatusand computers, 73 and 205, as described above in “PREPROGRAMMINGRECEIVER STATION OPERATING SYSTEMS,” to commence operating under controlof the instructions of said operating systems.

Causing each signal processor at every receiver station in said nationsto commence operating under control of its specific operating systeminstructions causes apparatus of each signal processor to commenceprocessing sequentially information of a plurality of specificfrequencies in the fashion of example #5 to detect program unitidentification signal information. One frequency that is processed ateach receiver station is the specific operating system master controlfrequency of the information preprogrammed at the station specificEPROM, 20B, of said station. Said frequency is either said mastertransmission of said European master network station or a selectedmaster channel transmission of a selected intermediate transmissionstation upon which information of said master transmission isretransmitted. Thus information of said master transmission is processedat each receiver station for program unit identification information ofinterest.

In due course, various transmission stations commence embedding programunit identification signal information in programming transmissions andtransmitting the transmissions.

Transmitting the programming with said embedded program unitidentification information causes signal processors at selected receiverstations each to commence selecting and receiving specific programmingof interest in the fashion of “AUTOMATING U. R. STATIONS . . . RECEIVINGSELECTED PROGRAMMING.” Automatically receiver stations all over saidnations commence tuning to different transmissions and receivingselected programming that differs from receiver station to receiverstation.

At 3:59 PM, GMT on Monday, Feb. 15, 2027, said European master networkstation commences embedding in the information of said mastertransmission and transmitting program unit identification information ofa particular combined medium television program, “Farm Plans of Europe.”

Farmers and government planners all over Europe wish to receive andinteract with the information of said program and have preprogrammed theapparatus of their stations to receive and combined to the programmingtransmission of said program. Thus so transmitting said program unitidentification information of said “Farm Plans of Europe” program causesapparatus at the ultimate receiver stations of farmers in all of saidnations to interconnect display (or other output apparatus) to thetransmission of said program and to combine to the computer system ofsaid transmission in the fashions described in example #10 and in“AUTOMATING U. R. STATIONS . . . MORE ON EXAMPLE #7 . . . RECEIVINGSELECTED PROGRAMMING AND COMBINING SELECTED URS MICROCOMPUTERS, 205,AUTOMATICALLY TO THE COMPUTER SYSTEM OF A SELECTED PROGRAMMINGTRANSMISSION.” Automatically each ultimate receiver station that isequipped with a satellite earth station, 250, commences transferringreceived information of said master transmission, via its matrix switch,258, to its divider, 4, (thereby inputting said received information toits computer, 205, and its decoder, 203) and commences transferring thetelevision output information of its microcomputer, 205, to itstelevision monitor, 202M, thereby causing display and emission of thetelevision images and sound of said output information. Automaticallyeach receiver station that is not equipped with a satellite earthstation tunes its tuner, 215, to receive the specific master channeltransmission of its specific selected local intermediate transmissionstation (which retransmits the master transmission of said EuropeanEuropean master network station on its master channel transmission) andcommences transferring received information of said master channeltransmission, via its matrix switch, 258, to its divider, 4, (therebyinputting said received information to its computer, 205, and itsdecoder, 203) and commences transferring the television outputinformation of its microcomputer, 205, to its television monitor, 202M,thereby causing display and emission of the television images and soundof said output information.

At 3:59:45 PM, GMT said European master network station embeds in theinformation of said master transmission and transmits a SPAM messagethat is addressed to the ITS computers, 73, of intermediate stationsthat are local stations.

Receiving said message causes each of said local intermediate stationautomatically to tune selected receiver apparatus to the specificsatellite transmission that is the particular second television channeloutput transmission of its specific national intermediate transmissionstation and to input the embedded SPAM information of said transmissionto its computer, 73, thereby causing said computer, 73, to come undercontrol of the output transmission of the computer, 73, of its nationalintermediate station.

At 3:59:55 PM, GMT, said European master network station transmits endof file signal information then invokes broadcast control of eachnational intermediate transmission station computer, 73, and eachultimate receiver station microcomputer, 205, that receives SPAMinformation of said master transmission. Automatically said Europeanmaster network station commences controlling directly the computers, 73,of said national intermediate stations and the microcomputers, 205, ofsaid ultimate receiver stations. And said master station causes eachnational intermediate station computer, 73, to embed in its particularsecond television channel transmission and to transmit end of filesignal information then to invoke broadcast control of the computers,73, of its specific local intermediate transmission stations.

At 4:00 PM, GMT, said. European master network station commencestransmitting the conventional television information of said “Farm Plansof Europe” program.

Immediately, said European master network station causes ultimatereceiver stations to obscure all video information of said mastertransmission and display only locally generated information and causesall national intermediate station computers, 73, and ultimate receiverstation microcomputers, 205, that are combined to the transmission ofsaid master station to commence receiving SPAM information embedded inthe full frame video of said master transmission. Said master stationtransmits SPAM information that is addressed to URS microcomputers, 205,that causes said microcomputers, 205, to commence combining anddisplaying locally titles information (while sound is emitted oftransmitted audio theme music) in the fashion described in “CONTROLLINGCOMPUTER-BASED COMBINED MEDIA OPERATIONS.” Then said master stationtransmits SPAM information that is addressed to ITS computers, 73, ofintermediate stations that are national stations and to URSmicrocomputers, 205, which SPAM information causes decoder apparatus tocommence receiving SPAM information embedded in the full frame video ofsaid master transmission at each national intermediate station and eachultimate receiver station where a microcomputer, 205, is combined to thecomputer system of said master transmission.

Then said European master network station causes said ultimate receiverstations each to commence receiving and emitting at its speaker system,261, sound information of a selected transmission that transmits audiolanguage information of said “Farm Plans of Europe” program in thespecific language that is the primary language of its subscriber. On aselected secondary transmission, said master station transmits, in afashion well known in the art, a spectrum of radio frequenciescontaining a plurality of individual frequency transmission each ofwhich expresses the audio of said program in a separate Europeanlanguage including minority languages such as Flemish, Welsh, Basque,etc. (Each local intermediate station receives and retransmits saidspectrum on a particular channel frequency spectrum.) Particularspecific primary language information is preprogrammed at specific SPAMapparatus (such as, for example, radio decoders, 211). Said masterstation embeds and transmits particular specific-language SPAMinformation addressed to said specific SPAM apparatus, and receivingsaid specific-language information causes said specific apparatus ateach ultimate receiver station to tune and emit the sound of thespecific primary language of the subscriber of said station (forexample, in the fashion of AUTOMATING U. R. STATIONS . . . COORDINATINGA STEREO SIMULCAST.”

Next said European master network station transmits in the full framevideo of said master transmission a SPAM message that is addressed toITS computers, 73, of intermediate stations that are national stationsand that contains information segment information of a particularnational level intermediate generation set. Receiving said messagecauses each national intermediate transmission station to input to andexecute at its computer, 73, the information of said set. (Theinformation of said set and the processing and functioning caused byexecuting said information are described more fully below.)

Said European master network station then transmits a series of SPAMmessages that cause ultimate receiver stations to commence processingcombined medium programming of said “Farm Plans of Europe” program anddisplaying (or otherwise outputting) combined medium information in aparticular fashion. First, said master station transmits a SPAM messagethat causes the signal processor, 200, of each ultimate receiver stationto cause its oscillator, 6, switch, 1, and mixer, 3, to input thespecific operating system master control frequency of its EPROM, 20B,continuously to its decoder, 30, thereby causing said decoder, 30, tocommence processing the information of said frequency continuously. (Inso doing, said master station causes SPAM information embedded in saidmaster transmission to be inputted to said signal processor, 200,continuously irrespective of the transmissions inputted to decoders,145, 203, or 282, and prevents signal processor, 200, from identifyingany other programming of interest at its station.) Then said masterstation embeds and transmits in the full frame video of said mastertransmission a SPAM message that is addressed to URS microcomputers,205, that contains information segment information of a particular firstprogram instruction set. Transmitting said message causes the allultimate receiver station microcomputers, 205, that are combined to thecomputer system of the transmission of said master station to commenceexecuting the instructions of said set and to commence generating localvideo, audio, and print overlay and output information in the fashionsdescribed above. Then said master station transmit a SPAM message thatcauses all SPAM decoder apparatus of all national intermediate stationsand all ultimate receiver stations with microcomputers, 205, combined tothe transmission of said master station to commence receiving SPAMinformation embedded in only the normal transmission location of saidmaster transmission; commences embedding SPAM information only in thenormal transmission location; and commences transmitting theconventional video of said “Farm Plans of Europe” program. And as saidmaster station transmits conventional video and audio information thatshows visually and describes aurally information of general interest tofarmers in all of said nations, said master station commencesperiodically embedding and transmitting SPAM messages that are addressedto URS microcomputers, 205, and that cause specific information of eachfarmer to be generated, under control of the instructions of saidprogram instruction set, at each ultimate receiver station and thatcause locally generated information periodically to be displayed oremitted as sound or printed in the fashion of example #10 at eachultimate subscriber station whose microcomputer, 205, is combined to thecomputer system of said master transmission.

In the mean time, executing their inputted information of said nationallevel intermediate generation set causes the computers, 73, of saidnational intermediate stations each to generate information of aspecific local level intermediate generation set in the fashion thatreceiving the intermediate generation set of Q caused differentintermediate stations to compute and incorporate specificformula-and-item-of-this-transmission information into generallyapplicable information of the program instruction sets of Q.1 and Q.2 inexample #10. Said national level intermediate generation set includesgenerally applicable information of national agriculture and economicpolicy information, of local tax formulas and items and employmentsubsidy formulas, and of farmers' recommended crop planting plans. Saidnational level set also contains a particular projected market price atwhich farmers are projected to be able to sell each alternate crop. Eachprice is projected on the basis of projected demand for each crop andthe aggregate quantity that European farmers are projected to supply. Inaddition, said national level set contains information of the aggregateamount of farm borrowing. Executing the information of said set causesthe computer, 73, of each national intermediate transmission station toaccess its specific NATIONAL.AGI, NATIONAL.TAX, and NATIONAL.MON filesand to compute formula-and-item-of-this-transmission informationspecific subsidy formulas and items regarding each alternate crop thatnational farmers may grow, regarding specific tax formulas anddepreciation schedules, and regarding specific monetary growth andinterest rates, all given the specific market price information of saidnational level intermediate generation set and the projected aggregateamount of farm borrowing. Having computed saidformula-and-item-of-this-transmission information, each computer, 73, iscaused to incorporate said information selectively into selectedgenerally applicable information of said national level set, therebygenerating at each of said computers, 73, a specific local levelintermediate generation set that applies to the local intermediatetransmission stations of its nation.

After an interval of time that is long enough for each nationalintermediate generation station to generate its specific local levelintermediate generation set, said European master network station embedsand transmits a SPAM message that is addressed to ITS, computers, 73, ofintermediate stations that are national stations and that instructs saidstations to embed and transmit their specific local intermediate sets.

Receiving said message causes the computer, 73, of each nationalintermediate station to embed in the normal location of its particularsecond television channel transmission and to transmit a particular SPAMmessage that is addressed to ITS computers, 73, and that containsinformation segment information of its specific local level intermediategeneration set.

Receiving the specific SPAM message of its national intermediate stationcauses the computer, 73, of each local intermediate station to executethe contained local level intermediate generation set of said messageand to generate information of a specific program instruction set in thefashion that executing the intermediate generation set of Q causeddifferent intermediate stations in example #10 to generate theirspecific program instruction sets of Q.1 or Q.2. Executing theinformation of its local level set causes the computer, 73, of eachlocal intermediate station to access its specific LOCAL.TAX andLOCAL.EMP files and to compute formula-and-item-of-this-transmissioninformation of specific local income and property tax formulas and localemployment subsidy formulas, all given the specific market priceinformation, the projected aggregate amount of farm borrowing, thespecific national subsidy formulas and items regarding each alternatecrop that national farmers may grow, the specific national tax formulasand depreciation schedules, and the specific national monetary growthand interest rates that are information of its local level intermediategeneration set. Automatically, each computer, 73, of a localintermediate station incorporates its computed information selectivelyinto selected generally applicable information of said local levelintermediate generation set, compiles information, and linksinformation, thereby generating its specific program instruction set.

At 4:29:50 PM, GMT, after an interval of time that is long enough foreach local intermediate generation station to generate its specificprogram instruction set, said European master network station transmitsa particular SPAM first-master-cueing message (#11) that is addressed toITS computers, 73, of intermediate stations that are national stations.Receiving said message causes each national intermediate station togenerate and embed in the normal location of its particular secondtelevision channel transmission a particular SPAM first-national-cueingmessage (#11) that is addressed to ITS computers, 73, of intermediatestations that are local stations.

Receiving said message causes each local intermediate station tocommence playing prerecorded programming loaded at its recorder, 76, andtransmitting said programming to its field distribution system, 93, onthe television channel transmission that is the master channeltransmission of said intermediate station. In so doing, each localintermediate station commences transmitting television information of anational and local segment of the “Farm Plans of Europe” program. (Eachnational intermediate station can have transmitted said prerecordedprogramming to its local intermediate stations and caused said stationsto organize said programming in the fashion of examples #8 and #9 or,alternatively, said first-national-cueing message (#11) could cause eachlocal station to commence transmitting on its master channeltransmission the its received television transmission of the secondtelevision channel output transmission of its specific nationalintermediate transmission station.)

Automatically each ultimate receiver station that is not equipped with asatellite earth station (and which is, as a consequence, receiving themaster transmission of said European master station retransmitted on themaster channel transmission of its local intermediate transmissionstation) commences receiving the programming transmitted by therecorder, 76, of its local intermediate station.

At 4:29:55 PM, GMT, said European master network station embeds in itsmaster transmission and transmits a particular SPAM second-master-cueingmessage (#11) that is addressed to URS microcomputers, 205.

Only ultimate receiver stations that are equipped with and that receivethe information of said master transmission directly by means ofsatellite earth station apparatus receive said second-master-cueingmessage (#11), and receiving said message causes said stations each toreceive and process the combined medium programming of the televisionchannel transmission that is the master channel transmission of itsparticular local intermediate transmission station (of whichtransmission information is preprogrammed at its EPROM, 20B).Automatically, a tuner, 215, is tuned at each of said stations toreceive the particular master channel transmission of the EPROM, 20B, ofsaid station and apparatus of said station interconnects to input thereceived master channel transmission to the microcomputer, 205, and thedecoder, 203, of said station.

In due course, each recorder, 76, transmits prerecorded end of fileinformation then a particular transmit-program-instruction-set SPAMmessage (#11) addressed to ITS computers, 73.

In the fashion of example #9, each local intermediate station detectsthe particular SPAM message of its recorder, 76, at its decoder, 77, andreceiving its particular message causes each station to embed andtransmit end of file signal information then a particular first SPAMmessage that is addressed to URS microcomputers, 205, and that containscomplete information of its particular program instruction set. (Inexample #11, the local stations are preprogrammed in such a fashion thatreceiving its specific transmit-program-instruction-set message (#11)causes each station to transmit the program instruction set generated bythe local intermediate generation set of its national intermediatestation rather than by a prerecorded intermediate generation setpreviously transmitted by its recorder, 76.) Subsequently, additionalSPAM messages that are embedded in said prerecorded programming and thatare addressed to URS microcomputers, 205, are transmitted by saidrecorder, 76.

Receiving the particular first SPAM message of its local intermediatestation causes apparatus of the subscriber station of each farmer toexecute the contained program instruction set of said message at themicrocomputer, 205, of said station and to commence generating thespecific combined medium output information of its subscriber station.And receiving said additional SPAM messages causes apparatus at eachsubscriber station of a farmer to display or otherwise output (or tocease displaying or otherwise outputting) combined medium program ofsaid national and local segment of the “Farm Plans of Europe” program.Automatically, the display and output apparatus of each farmer's stationcommences displaying and outputting television picture image, sound, andprint information of the national and local agricultural, economic, tax,and employment subsidy policies combined periodically with relatedlocally generated information of specific relevance to each farmer.

So executing a specific contained program instruction set causes eachmicrocomputer, 205, to generate a specific so-called “optimal” solutionfor its particular farmer's problem of deciding what mix of crops ismost profitable to grow on his property, given his resources.

First, each microcomputer, 205, accesses the specific information of itsparticular farmer. Automatically, under control of its specific receivedprogram instruction set, each microcomputer, 205, accesses the file,MY_FARM.DAT, that is prerecorded on the disk loaded at its A: disk driveand also accesses the encrypted “PROPRIET.MOD” file that is prerecordedat the laser disc player, 232, of each farmer's station (the informationof which last named file is prerecorded by any one of a plurality ofproprietary services companies whose information any given farmer mayacquire and the information of which varies from farmer's station tofarmer's station).

To access the information of its encrypted “PROPRIET.MOD” file, theinstructions of its particular program instruction set cause eachmicrocomputer, 205, to decrypt the information of said file and enterthe decrypted information of said file at particular RAM. In so doing,said instructions also cause each signal processor, 200, to retain meterinformation of the decryption of said file. (Selected stations that arepreprogrammed to retain monitor information are also caused to retainmonitor information.) The information of said file is embedded in theso-called “full frame” video at a laser disc loaded at the disk player,232, of each station intermixed with SPAM messages that control thedecryption and metering of the information of said file. Automatically,at the beginning of a particular interval during which its localintermediate station transmits no SPAM message information to URSmicrocomputers, 205, instructions of its particular program instructionset cause each microcomputer, 205, to instruct its signal processor,200, to cause its laser disk player, 232, to play. Then, in the fashionof example #7, apparatus of each station are caused to decrypt andretain meter information of the decryption of the encrypted informationof said file. (At each station, in a predetermined fashion that iscontrolled by the instructions of its program instruction set, apparatusis caused, to input the received television information transmitted bythe recorder, 76, of its local intermediate station directly from itstuner, 215, to its TV monitor, 202M then to input the decryptedinformation of its “PROPRIET.MOD” file to its microcomputer, 205, viaits decoder, 203, then to recommence inputting said received televisioninformation from its tuner, 215, to its TV monitor, 202M, via itsdivider, 4, and microcomputer, 205.)

Then using linear programming techniques that are well known in the art,each farmer's microcomputer, 205, under control of the particularprogram instruction set generated and transmitted by its localintermediate station, computes its particular farmer's “optimal” cropplanting plan by making reference to said farmer's specific data thatincludes, for example, the number and size of the individual parcels ofproperty of the farmer's farm, the soil conditions of said parcels, theaspects of said parcels with respect to sunlight and shade, the historyof crop rotation of said parcels, the farm equipment of said farmer, andthe financial resources of said farmer; by using said data as so-called“constraints”; and by applying information of said program instructionset. Said information that is applied includes the specific market priceinformation and projected aggregate amount of farm borrowing transmittedby said European master network control station as generally applicableinformation in its outputted national level intermediate generation set;the specific national subsidy formulas and items regarding eachalternate crop that national farmers may grow, the specific national taxformulas and depreciation schedules, and the specific national monetarygrowth and interest rates that were incorporated at the nationalintermediate station of each farmer into the generally applicableinformation of said national level intermediate generation set togenerate its local level intermediate generation set; and the specificlocal income and property tax formulas and local employment subsidyformulas that were incorporated at the local intermediate station ofeach farmer into the generally applicable information of its receivedlocal level intermediate generation set to generate its programinstruction set (which is the program instruction set received at saidfarmer's station).

The specific “optimal” crop planting plans so computed vary from stationto station and include budget information of projected revenues,expenses, and profits. The plan of one particular farmer calls forplanting forty acres of oats and sixty acres of wheat and projectsprofits of fifteen thousand units of local currency. The plan of aparticular second farmer calls for planting fifteen acres of broad beansand five acres of tomatoes and projects profits of thirty thousand unitsof local currency. The plan of a particular third farmer calls forplanting ten acres of red tulips and two acres of blue tulips andprojects profits of twenty thousand units of local currency.

Each specific “optimal” crop planting plan may also include so-called“sensitivity analyses” that are well known in the art and information ofalternate planting plans that are close to but not quite optimal.

Automatically, under control of its received program instruction set,the microcomputer, 205, of its farmer's station records completeinformation of said farmer's crop planting plan at its A: disk in a filenamed PLANTING.DAT.

Then automatically, under control of its particular program instructionset, each farmer's microcomputer, 205, computes and retains informationof a particular schedule of spot commercials. Information of twenty-sixspecific potential commercials of any given schedule are included in theinformation of its set, and the specific commercials include, forexample, commercials for a particular new farm truck, a particular newfarm tractor, a particular new farm disk harrow, software of aparticular new “PROPRIET.MOD” module for analyzing crop planting plansand generating recommended planting plans in a “new improved fashion,”etc. Under control of the instructions of its particular set, byanalyzing the budget information of its farmers crop planting plan, eachmicrocomputer, 205, automatically identifies four commercial spots thatare of a particular possible highest potential value to its farmer. Forexample, by analyzing equipment depreciation information, onemicrocomputer, 205, determines that its farmer has an old truck, a newtractor, and a new disk harrow and selects, as one of its fourcommercials, the commercial of the new truck. Meanwhile, anothermicrocomputer, 205, determines that its farmer has an old truck, a newtractor, and a old disk harrow and selects the commercial of the newtruck because a new truck is costlier than a disk harrow and may be morevaluable to its farmer. Automatically, the microcomputer, 205, of eachstation inputs to the signal processor, 200, of its station particularschedule information of its four identified commercial spots.

In due course, the recorder, 76, of each local intermediate stationtransmits further additional SPAM messages that are embedded in itsprerecorded programming and that are addressed to URS microcomputers,205, then transmits a particular local-second-cueing message (#11) thatis addressed to ITS computers, 73.

Receiving the further additional SPAM messages of its local intermediatestation causes apparatus at each subscriber station of a farmer todisplay or otherwise output (or to cease displaying or otherwiseoutputting) further combined medium programming of said national andlocal segment of the “Farm Plans of Europe” program. Automatically, inthe fashion of example #10, the display and output apparatus of eachfarmer's station commences displaying and outputting generallyapplicable television picture image, sound, and print information of acrop planting plan combined periodically with related locally generatedspecific crop planting plan information of its specific farmer.Automatically, crop and budget information of the aforementioned optimalcrop planting plan of each farmer is explained in the outputted thegenerally applicable programming and is displayed, emitted in sound, andprinted at the station of each farmer.

Then so transmitting a particular local-second-cueing message (#11) ateach local intermediate station causes a decoder, 77, at each station todetect the local-second-cueing message (#11) transmitted at its stationand input said message to the computer, 73.

Receiving its local-second-cueing message (#11) causes the computer, 73,of each local intermediate station to embed SPAM message informationthat is addressed to URS signal processors, 200, in the normal locationof its master channel transmission then after a particular interval tocause the video recorder/player, 78, of its station to commence playingand to cause apparatus of its station to transmit the output of saidrecorder/player, 78, to the field distribution system of said station onthe television transmission of a particular second television channel.

Transmitting said SPAM message information at its local intermediatestation causes apparatus of each farmer's station to receive and inputsaid information to the signal processor, 200, of said station, andreceiving said information causes the signal processor, 200, of saidstation to cause its tuner, 215A, to commence receiving the transmissionof the particular second television channel of its local intermediatestation; to cause apparatus of said station to interconnect to transferthe transmission received at said tuner, 215A, to a selected videorecorder/player, 217 or 217A; and to cause said video recorder, 217 or217A, to prepare to record selected programming.

Then after an interval that is long enough for each of its subscriberstations to prepare a selected recorder/player, 217 or 217A, to recordselected programming, each computer, 73, causes said recorder, 78, tocommence playing. In so doing, each computer, 73, causes twenty-sixprogram units of commercial spot programming to be transmitted, inseries, to its subscriber stations. Each program unit is preceded byembedded program unit identification information of its own that isaddressed to URS signal processors, 200.

Automatically, the signal processor, 200, of each station causes itsrecorder/players, 217 and 217A, in the fashion that applied to computer,73, and recorders, 76 and 78, in example #8, to record and then toorganize to play the selected programming of the selected commercialspots of its station. Automatically, a decoder, 282A, at the tuner,215A, of each station detects each datum of program unit identificationinformation received at its tuner, 215A, and inputs each datum to thesignal processor, 200, of its station. Automatically, said signalprocessor, 200, causes a selected recorder/player, 217 or 217A, torecord selected programming then, after a particular last unit isreceived, to organize the recorded programming to play according to itsschedule previously inputted by its microcomputer, 205.

In due course, the instructions of the program instruction set receivedat each farmer's station cause a particular module, TELEPHON.EXE, to berecorded at a particular disk drive of the microcomputer, 205, of eachfarmer's station (in the fashion of the file, “SHOPPING.EXE” in example#10) which, when executed, will permit the farmer to modify theinformation of his specific crop planting plan and associated budget andto transmit the specific information of his plan (as modified ifmodified) to a particular data collection computer at a remote station.

Then a particular second-cueing message (#11) that is embedded at theend of the prerecorded national and local segment of the “Farm Plans ofEurope” programming at the recorder, 76, of each local intermediatestation and that is addressed to URS signal processors, 200, istransmitted and causes the signal processor, 200, of each farmer'sstation to separate the apparatus of its station from the master channeltransmission and second television of its local intermediate station; tocause its recorder/players, 217 and 217A, to commence playing theirprerecorded commercial spot programming in the fashion of example #8,and to cause apparatus of its station to interconnect so as to commencegenerating and displaying (or otherwise outputting) combined mediumprogramming of the programming transmitted by its selectedrecorder/player, 217 or 217A.

Playing each commercial spot causes the combined medium information ofsaid spot to display information of a particular commercial product suchas a truck or a particular service such as a software package; to accessthe prerecorded “A:PLANTING.DAT” disk file information of a farmer'scrop planting plan; in a fashion well known in the art, to generatecost/benefit financial analysis of the incremental benefit of acquiringand using the displayed product or service (by comparison with thefarmer's existing product or service of like kind); and to display (orotherwise output) information of said analysis (if said analysis resultsin a positive net present benefit).

After studying his specific crop planting plan and associated budgetprojections, his associated sensitivity analyses, and the outputinformation of the selected commercial spots of his station, each farmerloads and runs his prerecorded module, TELEPHON.EXE, in a fashion wellknown in the art. Under control of the instructions of the TELEPHON.EXEmodule of his station controlling the operation of his signal processor,200, each farmer enters information at his local input, 225, thatmodifies the information of his file, “PLANTING.DAT,” to suit his ownwishes and inclinations then executes particular information of saidTELEPHON.EXE module that causes the instructions of said module to causehis signal processor, 200, to transmit the information of his“PLANTING.DAT” file, via telephone network in the fashion of example#10, to a computer at a particular remote data collection station.

Over the course of a particular time such as two days, computers atremote data collection stations receive data automatically from eachfarmer of said nations which data indicates the specific quantity ofeach crop that each farmer expects to harvest during the 2027 growingseason. Automatically, the received data is aggregated, in a fashionwell known in the art, at the computer of said European master networkorigination and control station which allows planners at said station tomodify and refine the variables of the national intermediate generationset of said station, especially the projected market prices at whichfarmers are projected to be able to sell each alternate crop.

The aggregated data is also distributed automatically to computers atthe national and local intermediate transmission stations, enablingnational and local planners to vary and refine the policy variables oftheir stations' local-formula-and-item information.

Then, at 3:59 PM, on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2027, the cycle of generatingand communicating information of farmers is repeated using the refinedvariables. Once again farmers receive optimal planting plans, given thenew refined variables, and respond with their own plans, causing data tobe aggregated at the computer of said European master networkorigination and control station.

In an iterative fashion well known in the art, this cycle is repeatedseveral times until a satisfactory European master agricultural plan isachieved. Invariable early cycles result in excessive planned planting,but as projected variables are refined in subsequent planning cycles,the excesses are eliminated. Ultimately the planners are able toestablish policy formula and item variables at levels that yieldsocially beneficial economic conditions while enabling farmersindividually to maximize the profitability of their planting plans,subject to their individual resources.

In this fashion, the unified system of programming communication of thepresent invention facilitates efficient economic planning and decisionmaking.

It is obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the foregoing ispresented by way of example only and that the invention is not to beunduly restricted thereby since modifications may be made in thestructure of the various parts or in the methods of their functioningwithout functionally departing from the spirit of the invention. AnySPAM message and any other programming transmission can be caused,through encryption/decryption and other SPAM regulating techniques ofthe present invention, to take affect fully only selected stations andstation apparatus. Because any transmission station can invoke any SPAMcontrolled function by transmitting a SPAM message with meter-monitorsegment information, invoking any given SPAM controlled function canalso cause meter information and or monitor information to be processedin the fashions described above at apparatus and stations where saidcontrolled function is invoked. Intermediate transmission stations canbe equipped with SPAM regulating capacity such as that illustrated inFIG. 4, monitoring capacity such as that illustrated in FIG. 5, andcontrol information switching and bus communications capacity such asthat illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. Controlling such capacity by means oftransmitted SPAM messages, a remote network origination and controlstation can transmit programming to intermediate transmission stations,regulate and meter the use of said programming at said stations, monitorthe use and usage of said programming at said stations, and controlcommunication of control information at said stations all in thefashions that apply above to ultimate receiver stations. And any giventransmission station can cause its receiver stations to functionautomatically not only in the fashions described above in the sectionson automating ultimate receiver stations but in any appropriate fashionthat a network origination and control station can cause intermediatetransmission stations to function automatically.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of delivering user specific programmingat a receiver station of a plurality of receiver stations, said receiverstation including a receiver, a detector, a computer, and a first outputdevice, said method comprising the steps of: receiving generic videoprogramming at said receiver station, said generic video programmingincluding general content appropriate for display to a general audienceat each receiver station of said plurality of receiver stations, saidgeneric video programming to be outputted for a duration of time,wherein only a portion of said duration includes at least a first timeinterval, said first time interval for outputting said user specificprogramming pertinent to said generic video programming, and timed basedon content of the generic video programming, receiving data at saidreceiver station, wherein at least a portion of one of said data andsaid generic video programming is received from a remote transmitterstation; selecting, at said receiver station, said generic videoprogramming; delivering, at said receiver station, said generic videoprogramming to said first output device for output to a user for saidduration of time; detecting, at said receiver station, said data beforea time period during which said user specific information will beprocessed and delivering said data to said computer; generating, at saidreceiver station in said time period, said user specific informationhaving content of particular relevance to a user of said receiverstation without having particular relevance to other users at otherreceiver stations of said plurality of receiver stations to serve as abasis for delivering said user specific programming by processing saiddetected data; receiving, storing and outputting a timing signal at saidreceiver station; synchronizing, on the basis of said timing signal,outputs at said first output device of 1) said user specific programmingfor output to the user of said receiver station based on said generateduser specific information, said user specific programming having contentrelated to said generic video programming output during said at leastsaid first time interval and 2) a pertinent portion of said genericvideo programming, said synchronized outputs output before the end ofsaid at least said first time interval, wherein said synchronizedoutputs explain or make apparent the meaning of said user specificprogramming; and outputting said synchronized outputs including saiduser specific programming and said pertinent portion of said genericvideo programming during said first time interval.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said step of synchronizing includes selecting said atleast a first portion of said user specific information.
 3. The methodof claim 2, wherein said only said portion of said duration includes aplurality of time intervals of specific relevance, said method furthercomprising the step of: preparing to output additional user specificinformation in at least a second of said plurality of time intervals. 4.The method of claim 3, wherein said only said portion of said durationincludes at least one time interval during which user specificprogramming is not to be outputted at said first output device, saidmethod further comprising the step of: ceasing to output said userspecific programming before said at least one time interval.
 5. Themethod of claim 4, wherein said user specific programming is selectedbefore said at least one time interval.
 6. The method of claim 5,wherein additional user specific programming is outputted at said firstoutput device after said at least one time interval.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said first output device includes a second outputdevice, said method further comprising the step of: outputting at saidsecond output device at least one of (i) a portion of said user specificprogramming and (ii) information which explains a significance of saiduser specific programming.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said secondoutput device outputs information which explains said significance of atleast said portion of said user specific programming.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, wherein supplemental information is outputted that identifiesinformation included in said user specific programming by at least oneof title and subject matter.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein saiduser specific programming includes at least one graphic image and audiodescribes subject matter included in said at least one graphic image.11. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one graphic image isoutputted at least one of a printer and a video monitor.
 12. The methodof claim 9, wherein at least a portion of said supplemental informationis outputted at a speaker.
 13. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising the step of: at least one of processing and outputting adigital television signal.
 14. The method of claim 1, further comprisingthe steps of: detecting at least a first control signal pertaining tosaid user specific programming before display at said first outputdevice of said generic video programming within said only a portion ofsaid duration; and outputting at least a portion of said user specificprogramming based on said at least said first control signal.
 15. Themethod of claim 14, wherein said first control signal is received fromsaid at least one remote transmitter station, said method furthercomprising the step of: selecting at least a portion of said data andsaid generic video programming based on said at least said first controlsignal.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein at least a second controlsignal pertaining to said user specific programming is detected beforeat least part of the generic video programming included in said at leastsaid first time interval is displayed at said first output device, saidmethod further comprising the step of: passing said at least said secondcontrol signal to said computer.
 17. The method of claim 16, whereinsaid user specific information is communicated to said first outputdevice based on said at least said second control signal.
 18. The methodof claim 17, wherein second data is generated in accordance with said atleast said second control signal, said method further comprising thestep of: detecting said at least said second control signal before theend of said time period.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein said genericvideo programming is received from said remote transmitter station, saidmethod further comprising the step of: programming said receiver stationto process digital data embedded in a signal including said genericvideo programming.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein said receiverstation performs at least one of said steps of generating andsynchronizing based on said step of programming.
 21. The method of claim1, wherein said data are received from said remote transmitter station,said method further comprising the step of: programming said receiverstation to process digital data embedded in a signal including saiddata.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein said receiver station performsat least one of said steps of generating and synchronizing based on saidstep of programming.
 23. The method of claim 1, further comprising thesteps of: detecting at least a first discrete signal in a signaltransmitted from said remote transmitter station; and organizinginformation included in said at least a first discrete signal withinformation included in a second discrete signal in order to transfer atleast one microprocessor instruction.
 24. The method of claim 23,wherein said at least one microprocessor instruction includes saidinformation included in said at least said first discrete signal andsaid information included in a second discrete signal and said step oforganizing comprises assembling.
 25. The method of claim 1, wherein saiddata and said generic video programming are both received from saidremote transmitter station.
 26. The method of claim 25, wherein saidremote transmitter station includes at least one intermediatetransmitter station, said method further comprising the step of: tuningat least one receiver to receive said at least a portion of one of saiddata and said generic video programming.
 27. The method of claim 25,wherein said receiver station is enabled to output said user specificprogramming based on a signal transmitted from said receiver station.28. A method of delivering generic video programming for synchronizingwith user specific programming at a receiver station of a plurality ofreceiver stations, said receiver station including a receiver, an outputdevice, a detector, and at least one processor operatively connected tosaid output device, wherein said receiver station is adapted to detectdata and generate user specific information having content of particularrelevance to a user of said receiver station without having particularrelevance to other users at other receiver stations of said plurality ofreceiver stations, said user specific information to serve as a basisfor outputting said user specific programming, said method comprisingthe steps of: receiving generic video programming at a transmitterstation, said generic video programming including general contentappropriate for display to a general audience at each receiver stationof said plurality of receiver stations, said generic video programmingto be displayed at said output device for at least a duration of time,only a portion of said duration of time including a first time interval,said generic video programming to be selected and delivered to saidoutput device at said receiver station, a pertinent portion of saidgeneric video programming to be synchronized for output with said userspecific programming on the basis of a timing signal received and storedat said receiver station, said user specific programming having contentrelated to said generic video programming for output during said firsttime interval, wherein synchronized outputs of said generic videoprogramming and said user specific programming during said first timeinterval explain or make apparent the meaning of said user specificprogramming; commencing, at said transmitter station, to transfer saidgeneric video programming to a first transmitter at a first specifictime; and transmitting from said transmitter station an informationtransmission including said generic video programming.
 29. The method ofclaim 28, further comprising the step of storing said generic videoprogramming before said first specific time.
 30. The method of claim 29,further comprising the steps of: receiving said generic videoprogramming from a second transmitter station; and controlling at leastone selective transfer device to communicate said generic videoprogramming to at least one of (i) a memory and (ii) said firsttransmitter before said first specific time.
 31. The method of claim 30,wherein said at least one selective transfer device includes at leastone of a switch and a processor.
 32. The method of claim 28, whereinsaid transmitter station transmits both of said generic videoprogramming and said data, said method further comprising the step of:commencing to transfer said data to said first transmitter at a secondspecific time.
 33. The method of claim 32, wherein said transmitterstation transmits at least one of said data before transmitting at leasta portion of said generic video programming.
 34. The method of claim 33,wherein said user specific information is generated at said receiverstation before said pertinent portion of said generic video programmingis outputted at said output device, said method further comprising thestep of: transmitting a control signal which serves as a basis, at saidreceiver station, for outputting at least a portion of said userspecific programming.
 35. The method of claim 28, wherein said receiverstation outputs audio while outputting said generic video programming,said method further comprising the step of transmitting from saidtransmitter station said audio.
 36. The method of claim 35, wherein saidaudio explains a significance of at least a portion of said userspecific programming, said method further comprising the step of:commencing to transfer said audio to said first transmitter beforetransferring said at least a portion of said generic video programmingto said at least said first transmitter.
 37. The method of claim 36,wherein said user specific information is outputted at said outputdevice while said at least said portion of said generic videoprogramming is outputted at said at least one output device.
 38. Themethod of claim 37, wherein said audio explains a meaning of said userspecific programming.
 39. The method of claim 38, wherein said genericvideo programming and said audio are included in television programming,said method further comprising the step of transmitting a televisionsignal.
 40. The method of claim 39, wherein a control signal enablessaid receiver station to deliver said user specific programming at saidoutput device, said method further comprising the step of: embeddingsaid control signal in at least one of said television signal and amultichannel signal including said television signal.
 41. The method ofclaim 40, wherein said control signal causes said receiver station to atleast one of generate said user specific information and communicatesaid user specific programming to said output device.
 42. The method ofclaim 41, wherein said transmitter station includes a second site havinga second transmitter and said control signal causes said transmitterstation to transfer said at least one of said television signal and amultichannel signal including said television signal to a secondtransmitter.
 43. The method of claim 42, wherein said second transmittersite is an intermediate transmitter site.
 44. A method of deliveringuser specific programming a receiver station of a plurality of receiverstations, said receiver station including a receiver, an output device,a detector, and a processor operatively connected to said output device,said method comprising the steps of: receiving data at a transmitterstation; generating at said transmitter station user specificinformation by processing said data, said user specific informationhaving content of particular relevance to a user of said receiverstation without having particular relevance to other users at otherreceiver stations of said plurality of receiver stations, said userspecific information to serve as a basis for outputting said userspecific programming; receiving said transmitter station generic videoprogramming, said generic video programming including general contentappropriate for display to a general audience at each receiver stationof said plurality of receiver stations, said generic video programmingto be selected and outputted at said output device for at least aduration of time, only a portion of said duration of time including afirst time interval, said generic video programming to be selected anddelivered to said output device at said receiver station, a pertinentportion of said generic video programming to be synchronized for outputwith said user specific programming on the basis of a timing signalreceived and stored at said receiver station, said user specificprogramming having content related to said generic video programming foroutput during said first time interval, wherein said synchronizedoutputs of said generic video programming and said user specificprogramming during said first time interval explain or make apparent themeaning of said user specific programming; and transmitting from saidtransmitter station said generic video programming and said userspecific information.
 45. The method of claim 44, further comprising thestep of: storing at least one of said generic video programming and saiddata in accordance with a control signal.
 46. The method of claim 45,further comprising the step of: identifying said at least one of saidgeneric video programming and said data in accordance with said controlsignal.
 47. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of:controlling at least one selective transfer device to communicate saidat least one of said generic video programming and said data to at leastone of (i) a memory and (ii) a transmitter in accordance with saidcontrol signal.
 48. The method of claim 47, wherein said at least oneselective transfer device includes at least one of a switch and aprocessor.
 49. The method of claim 47, wherein said at least one firstcontrol signal includes a schedule.
 50. The method of claim 49, furthercomprising the step of: transmitting at least one instruction whichserves as a basis at said at least one receiver station for outputtingat least a portion of said user specific programming.
 51. The method ofclaim 44, further comprising the step of: transmitting audio inaccordance with a control signal.
 52. The method of claim 51, whereinsaid audio explains a significance of at least a portion of said userspecific programming.
 53. The method of claim 52, wherein said controlsignal causes said transmitter station to transfer said audio from atleast one of a switch and a memory to a transmitter.
 54. The method ofclaim 44, wherein said generic video programming is included intelevision programming, said method further comprising the step of:transmitting a television signal in accordance with a control signal.55. The method of claim 54, wherein at least one instruction enablessaid receiver station to deliver said user specific programming at saidoutput device, said method further comprising the step of: embeddingsaid at least one instruction in at least one of said television signaland a multichannel signal including said television signal.
 56. Themethod of claim 55, wherein said at least one instruction enables saidat least one receiver station to identify at least said televisionprogramming.
 57. The method of claim 56, wherein said control signalincludes said at least one instruction.
 58. The method of claim 44,wherein transmitter is located at a second transmitter station, saidmethod further comprising the steps of: communicating control signal toa second transmitter; and transmitting said at least said first controlsignal.
 59. The method of claim 58, wherein said control signal enablessaid second transmitter station to identify a programming signal, saidmethod further comprising the step of: including at least a firstidentifier in said control signal.
 60. The method of claim 59, whereinsaid at least said second transmitter station identifies saidprogramming signal based on a comparison, said method further comprisingthe steps of: including a second identifier in at least one secondcontrol signal; and transmitting said at least said second controlsignal.
 61. The method of claim 60, wherein said programming signalincludes said generic video programming.
 62. The method of claim 61,wherein said at least one second control signal enables said secondtransmitter station to transmit said programming signal at a scheduledtime, said method further comprising the step of: including at least onedatum of said scheduled time in at least one of said at least said firstcontrol signal and said second control signal.
 63. A method ofdelivering user specific programming at a receiver station of aplurality of receiver stations, said receiver station including areceiver, a detector, a computer, and output device, said methodcomprising the steps of: receiving generic video programming at saidreceiver station, said generic video programming including generalcontent appropriate for display to a general audience at each receiverstation of said plurality of receiver stations, said generic videoprogramming to be outputted for a duration of time, wherein only aportion of said duration includes a time interval, and said genericvideo programming is received from at least one remote transmitterstation; selecting and delivering at said receiver station said genericvideo programming to said output device for output to a user of saidreceiver station; receiving at said received station from said at leastone remote transmitter station said user specific information to serveas a basis for delivering said user specific programming, said userspecific information being generated at said at least one remotetransmitter station by processing data in a time period, said data beingstored at said at least one remote transmitter station before said timeperiod, said user specific information having content of particularrelevance to the user of said receiver station without having particularrelevance to other users at other receiver stations of said plurality ofreceiver stations; communicating said user specific information fromsaid at least one remote transmitter station to said receiver stationprior to said at least one time interval of specific relevance based onsaid step of generating; receiving, storing and outputting a timingsignal at said receiver station; synchronizing, on the basis of saidtiming signal, outputs at said output device of 1) said user specificprogramming for output to the user of said receiver station based onsaid communicated user specific information, said user specificprogramming having content related to said generic video programmingoutput during said time interval and 2) a pertinent portion of saidgeneric video programming, said synchronized outputs output before theend of said time interval, wherein said synchronized outputs explain ormake apparent the meaning of said user specific programming; andoutputting said synchronized outputs including said pertinent portion ofsaid generic video programming and said user specific programming. 64.An apparatus for coordinating a programming presentation at a massmedium programming receiver station comprising: a first receiver sectionfor receiving generic mass medium programming at said mass mediumprogramming receiver station, said generic mass medium programmingincluding general content appropriate for display to a general audienceat other receiver stations, said generic mass medium programming to beoutputted for a duration of time, only a portion of said duration oftime including a first time interval, said first time interval foroutputting user specific programming pertinent to said generic massmedium programming; an output device for outputting synchronized outputsincluding said user specific programming and a pertinent portion of saidgeneric mass medium programming; a second receiver section for receivinguser specific information generated at a transmitter station, said userspecific information having content of particular relevance to a user ofsaid receiver station without having particular relevance to other usersat said other receiver stations, said user specific information to serveas a basis for delivering said user specific programming; a processoroperatively connected to said first receiver section, said secondreceiver section and said output device, said processor selecting saidgeneric mass medium programming, delivering said generic mass mediumprogramming to said output device for output to the user for saidduration of time, receiving and storing a timing signal, andsynchronizing on the basis of said timing signal said outputs at saidoutput device of 1) said user specific programming for output to theuser based on said received user specific information, said userspecific programming having content related to said generic mass mediumprogramming output during said first time interval and 2) said pertinentportion of said generic mass medium programming, said synchronizedoutputs output before the end of said first time interval, wherein saidsynchronized outputs explain or make apparent the meaning of said userspecific programming.
 65. An apparatus for coordinating a programmingpresentation at a mass medium programming receiver station comprising: afirst receiver section for receiving generic mass medium programming anddata at said mass medium programming receiver station; a plurality ofoutput devices for outputting synchronized outputs including said userspecific programming and a pertinent portion of said generic mass mediumprogramming; a detector operatively connected to said first receiversection for detecting said data before a time period during which userspecific information will be processed; a processor operativelyconnected to said first receiver section, said detector and saidplurality of output devices, said processor generating user specificinformation by processing said data, said user specific informationhaving content of particular relevance to a user of said receiverstation without having particular relevance to other users at otherreceiver stations, said user specific information serving as a basis fordelivering said user specific programming, said processor receiving andstoring a timing signal, said processor synchronizing on the basis ofsaid timing signal said outputs at said output device of 1) said userspecific programming for output to the user based on said generated userspecific information, said user specific programming having contentrelated to said generic mass medium programming output during said firsttime interval and 2) said pertinent portion of said generic mass mediumprogramming, said synchronized outputs output before the end of saidfirst time interval, wherein said synchronized outputs explain or makeapparent the meaning of said user specific programming.
 66. An apparatusfor coordinating a programming presentation at a mass medium programmingreceiver station comprising: a first receiver section for receivinggeneric mass medium programming and data at said mass medium programmingreceiver station; a output device operatively connected to said firstreceiver section for outputting synchronized outputs including said userspecific programming and a pertinent portion of said mass mediumprogramming to a user; a detector operatively connected to said firstreceiver section for detecting said data before a time period duringwhich user specific information will be processed; a processoroperatively connected to said first receiver section, said detector andsaid output device, said processor generating user information byprocessing said data said user specific information having content ofparticular relevance to a user of said receiver station without havingparticular relevance to other users at other receiver stations, saiduser specific information serving as a basis for delivering said userspecific programming, said processor receiving and storing a timingsignal, said processor synchronizing on the basis of said timing signalsaid outputs at said output device of 1) said user specific programmingfor output to the user based on said generated user specificinformation, said user specific programming having content related tosaid generic mass medium programming output during said first timeinterval and 2) said pertinent portion of said generic mass mediumprogramming, said synchronized outputs output before the end of saidfirst time interval, wherein said synchronized outputs explain or makeapparent the meaning of said user specific programming.